


Let This Piece of Destiny Slip Away

by bluemisfortune



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Alternate Universe, Energyform Vector, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-10-12 00:20:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10477833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemisfortune/pseuds/bluemisfortune
Summary: As punishment for his crimes, Vector is locked in his energy form and trapped inside Nasch’s pendant. Refusing to accept Nasch could be truly gone, Durbe takes Nasch’s pendant to search for him on Earth.After years of searching, they meet Kamishiro Ryouga.





	1. If You Weren't You

**Author's Note:**

> For a long time this has just been called the astral Vector au, but it's that red glowy energy form from Zexal I that I wish we'd seen more of, and from the other Barians too. In this Durbe manages to turn up and save Merag from Vector tossing her off the cliff, so she's still in the Barian world but Nasch is inside Ryouga's body.

“I will throw you into the river, Vector,” Durbe says.

It’s the fifth time he’s made the threat this week. And it’s Tuesday. They both know he won’t. It’s all but routine now, arguments morning, noon and night. Vector really is the most despicable creature in the world. All the worlds. It really is disgusting that Durbe is stuck with him, but that's the choice he made.

“Go ahead. I’d rather be at the bottom of a river than with you,” Vector says, floating upside down in front of him. “Better conversation, probably.”

It’s getting on for a decade that Durbe has been in the human world and he’s starting to wonder just who’s actually being punished here. It’s not that Durbe doesn’t like the human world but it’s just not home. And he’s stuck with Vector.

And while it’s not home, it’s not awful. Humans, for the most part, are friendly. Mouths are fun. Eating is fun. Coffee is amazing. It’s such a shame Vector misses out on mouths.

_Perhaps_.

But, the human world is big. It’s huge. The cities are busy and loud and chaotic. And not the good kind of chaotic they survive on. Just unorganised and jumbled and messy. Durbe tries to stay positive, but he’s starting to wonder how he’s ever going to find Nasch.

He doesn’t doubt for a second that he _can_ find Nasch in the human world. It’s just a matter of how.

“Hey, don’t ignore me,” Vector snaps.

 “I didn’t want to bore you with my uninspiring conversation,” Durbe says, adjusting the bag on his shoulder.

It’s full of exactly nothing. Durbe has noticed that his human form looks young. People keep asking him if he should be in school. So Durbe has taken to looking like he might be in school, in an unremarkable uniform and carrying a bag. Now he just mutters about a free period and people nod and leave him alone.

“It’s fine,” Vector tells him. He’s obviously floating right in his line of sight on purpose, forcing Durbe to stop so he doesn’t walk into someone. The red energy form Vector is trapped in is not as transparent as Durbe would like. “I’ll lead the conversation, all you have to do is nod and smile and when appropriate tell me how right I am.”

“Of course. How silly of me to think you wanted actual conversation.”

“Hey!”

Durbe tilts his head and Vector growls. Standing on the bank above them is the young Asian Champion. Vector mumbles something along the lines of ‘ _fish boy_ ’ and Durbe smiles. Kamishiro Ryouga. The reason they were in Heartland City. One of the best candidates for Nasch they had seen so far.

It was Vector who brought Ryouga to Durbe’s attention. He pointed him out on the National Championship posters, grumbling about sharks reminding him of Nasch. Apparently he had the same haughty smirk too. Durbe hadn’t bothered getting into the argument over how Nasch could have a haughty smirk when he didn’t have a mouth. But Vector has picked well.

Durbe subscribes to the theory that Nasch has been lost in the human world all this time, forced into his human form and having lost his memories. Ryouga is the perfect candidate. He makes Durbe’s heart flutter in a strange way. He has the same coarseness, mixed with an odd sense of grace and elegance. And Vector positively loathes him.

“I hear congratulations are in order,” Durbe says, smiling up at Ryouga. “Quite the victory.”

Ryouga hurries down the bank and joins Durbe by the canal. Vector floats of sight and Durbe smiles down at the youngster. He’s flicking through his deck. And finally, he takes out a card and hands it over. Durbe frowns, but takes it slowly. The very fact that Ryouga can hand it back by his own accord is proof there’s something odd about him.

“Thank you,” Ryouga says as Durbe gazes down at the card. Barian’s Force. “For the card. And…” He scowls and glares at the water. “For stopping me doing something stupid.”

“Push him in the river for me?” Vector says from behind them.

Durbe ignores how petty that is and smiles at Ryouga, shaking his head and handing back Barian’s Force. If he’s truly Nasch, simply lost in this human world and his human form, Barian’s Force belongs with him.

“Keep it,” Durbe says. “Consider it a gift from a fan.”

“Please don’t,” Ryouga says, shaking his head. He takes the card anyway. “The fans are the worst. They’ve been driving me insane. I think I might just want to be normal again. I can sorta see why IV was such a wound up mess. He was such a big star. I can’t imagine the pressure. I haven’t heard anything about him since the tournament though.”

“Oh wonderful, he’s a talker,” Vector groans. “I bet he even gives speeches like Nasch.”

“The higher one reaches, the further the fall,” Durbe says, instead of acknowledging Vector. “I’m sure he’s simply recovering from the loss, reviewing his own actions and how he can improve. Self reflection is important after failure.”

“You’re probably right. He was just such a mess that day, I guess I’m worrying. I’ve never seen him like that. I was really looking forward to duelling him and instead… That wasn’t the him I wanted to duel. Not the him I wanted to beat.” He pauses and shakes his head. “Really, though, thank you for coming in when you did.”

“You know, it was merely coincidence.” Ryouga nods. “I didn’t know you were about to be dumb and come in specifically to stop you. Although, I am glad I did.”

Ryouga flashes something that might be a smile. It lasts all of a second before he’s scowling again, glaring at the water as Vector laughs something about him being hot and cold. Durbe doesn’t mind. He’s practically a stranger after all. Just because Durbe feels the longing and warmth in his chest that only ever accompanied Nasch, doesn’t mean Ryouga does. Or that he’d know what it is if he did.

The fact that he is hot and cold feels positive to Durbe anyway. Nasch was hardly a kitten. He was always a bit rude and a bit standoffish, even with those he loved. Ryouga’s being somewhat friendly towards without really knowing why. Perhaps he does feel the same longing and warmth as Durbe.

 

“What school do you go to?”

Durbe blinks. _Oh._ That question’s never come up before. Ryouga is waiting impatiently and Vector is cackling about Durbe’s oh-so poor planning when it came to the basics. It’s very hard to ignore him in public some days.

“I’m… well…”

“Skipping class?” Ryouga finishes. Durbe laughs awkwardly. Ryouga takes it as an admission of guilt and shoves his hands in his pockets. “Me too.”

“Nice save,” Vector laughs. “I never thought of just looking cute and awkward when I haven’t made a plan for something. I’ll remember that.”

Durbe can’t tell if Vector’s being honest about that or not.

Vector floats around behind Ryouga, leaning his chin on the boys shoulder. If he had a mouth he’d probably be grinning. He moves his hand as if playing with Ryouga’s hair and it’s a good job Durbe is the only one who can see him. It’s also a good job he has his glasses to play with to keep himself from visibly reacting to Vector.

“He’s cute, I guess,” Vector says. “In a sorta Naschy way. If he is Nasch, it’s rather impressive. Not nearly as-”

“What about you?” Durbe says over Vector. “Where are you not going to school?”

Ryouga almost smiles again. “Heartland Academy. I’m a first year.”

“Huh, what a coincidence.” Ryouga frowns and tilts his head a little. “You can show me where it is. I actually just moved here, you see. I’ll be starting Heartland Academy soon-”

“Bad idea,” Vector says.

“-I’ll be in the second year.” Can’t be too obvious about it. It’d be weird.There are only so many coincidences that humans can take before they get suspicious. Durbe turning up in his class after turning up at his tournament would be a bit noticeable. “I mean, obviously, I don’t mean to impose, I just meant if you weren’t busy, or-”

“Stop talking,” Ryouga snaps. There’s a softness to it though. Something warm and friendly. “Whatever. You seem like the type who’d get hopelessly lost if I don’t show you around. And I suppose I owe you for the card. And the championship.”

“I’m not sure I’m responsible for that.”

“Don’t you know? If I’d even glanced at his deck for a second, I would have been disqualified and banned for life.”

“It’s that serious?”

“Of course. So… I’ll show you the school and, I don’t know, the city and stuff. Buy you a drink or something. You look like the type who drinks those pretentious adult drinks to seem older than you are.”

“I think he likes you, Durbie,” Vector sneers.

“Umm, thank you?” Durbe replies, hurrying to Ryouga’s side.

He’s not sure if he should be offended or grateful. Vector rolls his eyes and Ryouga glances at him, that almost-smile more pronounced than before. His eyes are soft and warm. More like Nasch than ever.

“If he’s not Nasch, he’s gonna be pissed to know you’re only interested because he reminds you of him,” Vector warns.

“Don’t say thank you when I’ve just insulted you,” Ryouga says, although there’s no bite to it. “You’re so weird.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t sure if it was an insult. You seem like the sort of person who gives insults and praises at the same time.”

“Smooth,” Vector sneers. “Tell him he sounds like an ass. I mean, he does, he sounds like Nasch, but I doubt that’s what-”

“Blunt, aren’t you?” Ryouga snorts. “Good. I can’t stand people who can’t get to the point.”

“I feel like you just called me rude.”

“Honest.” Ryouga flashes a smirk. “It’s interesting. Don’t hold back.”

“If that’s what you want. I hope you don’t regret asking that later.”

“I can give as good as I get. I’m a big boy.”

“Are you two flirting?” Vector snaps. “You haven’t even introduced yourself. Just what sort of man are you, Durbe?”

“Oh, right.” Ryouga frowns and Durbe smiles a little. “Durbe. My name’s Durbe. I never introduced myself.”

“I wasn’t trying to be helpful.”

Ryouga smiles a little and nods. “Everyone calls me Shark. Take your pick.”

“Oh great. A nickname. Wonderful.”

Durbe mentally wills Vector to shut up. Vector just floats along behind them, grumbling and complaining as Durbe and Ryouga wander along the canal, chatting quietly. Durbe ignores him, something he’s become quite good at over the time he’s been stuck with him. Ryouga doesn’t tell him much about himself, nothing that could help figure out if he is Nasch, but it’s nice anyway.

 

They talk about duelling mostly. They end up in a quiet cafe- an abandoned cafe really. They’re the only two customers in and there’s only the owner on staff. Their decks end up spread out on the table between them. Ryouga does buy him a coffee after muttering about being right about his drinking habits and they sit together admiring each others’ cards.

“I’ve never heard of these archetypes,” Ryouga says quietly. “Where did you get them?”

“I…”

“We summon them from within our souls,” Vector laughs, sitting on the cafe’s counter.

“A friend gave them to me,” Durbe says after a moment, touching his Holy Lightning cards absently. He can’t use his Over-Hundred Number here. Neither can Vector. Not in these forms. But they had found ways around it. “A long time ago…”

“Someone important?” Ryouga says. Durbe nods. “Someone not around anymore?”

“He… I think…”

“He’s dead,” Vector cackles. Durbe glances over with a scowl. No. He’s not. Durbe is sure. “Come on, Durbie. He’s dead stone cold dead. Gone. You were just that tiny bit too late. You failed!”

“He’s missing,” Durbe tells Ryouga finally. “It depends who you ask. He… He’s gone. He just vanished. I don’t want to believe he’s dead. I’m looking for him. I’m sure he’s out there somewhere, I just need to find him. We - my friends, his sister, the five of us - think he’s out there somewhere. But it’s been so long.”

“Dead, Durbe. He’s dead.” Vector’s punishment seems to be doing nothing to change his attitude. He shows no remorse at all. “You couldn’t save him. He’s gone and you can never bring him back. Since you won’t give up looking for Nasch, you won’t ever go home. You won’t see them ever again.”

Durbe does his best to ignore him. He doesn’t want to think about it. He doesn’t want to acknowledge any of it could be true. He can’t go home without Nasch. Merag can look after the Barian World. She’ll find him if she needs him, she can call him home, but he wants to find Nasch before he returns without cause.

“It’s just you and me now, Durbie. Forever.”

 

While Vector has been rambling, Ryoga has obviously been thinking something over too, tilting his head a little. His eyes have softened and he’s playing with one of the rings on his fingers. There’s a heavy silence - at least between him and Durbe - and Durbe says nothing to break it. Ryouga looks like he wants to say something. Durbe won’t push him. He’ll let him say when he’s ready.

“I lost my sister,” Ryouga says finally. “And my parents. But my sister- sometimes I still feel her. Does that make sense? We’re twins. I feel her. In my soul.”

His hand goes to his chest. Durbe does his absolute best to ignore that his hand is resting not over his heart, but the center of his torso where the central gem of his crest would be. The crest now hanging around Durbe’s neck. Vector’s prison.

Durbe’s hand touches the gem too. There’s an echo of Nasch’s soul. Durbe doesn’t know if that’s just warmth after the fire, or a sign Nasch is still out there somewhere. Vector must notice too. He stops talking. He falls absolutely silent, eyes narrowed and glaring furiously.

It’s is not a human gesture.

Ryouga frowns suddenly. He shakes himself off, fixes Durbe with a glare, that actually makes Durbe want to smile, and puts his hands under the table as if consciously trying to stop playing with the rings. Or at least hide it.

“I don’t know why I’m telling you this stuff,” he says. As if Durbe’s a threat. As if opening up is a bad thing. “And if you tell anyone any of this, I will hurt you.”

“Who am I going to tell?” Durbe replies with a pacifying smile. “I’m new in town. I know no one and I would consider it a breach of trust to tell anyone something my friend told me in confidence. You don’t have to threaten me, although given your gruffness, perhaps you’re just rather fond of the imagine it brings.”

“You don’t seem that bothered by the threats anyway,” Ryouga snaps. There’s something like childish indignance in his tone. And the way his cheeks are a little pink. “Maybe you’re rather fond of the idea of me hurting you.”

“Not that you could even if you tried, but do I really strike you as a masochist?”

“Yes,” Ryouga and Vector reply at the same time. Durbe glares at Vector behind the facade of adjusting his glasses. Ryouga leans over and taps Saint Shield. “Decks are about souls, right? So what kind of dumbass card is that?”

“Useful against certain people,” Durbe says, eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you questioning my deck building?”

“Yes.” Well, at least he’s blunt too. Vector laughs and Durbe scowls. “There are way better cards to nullify damage and to gain attack without that stupid drawback.” Durbe opens his mouth to argue that his deck is just fine but Ryouga holds up a finger, almost against Durbe’s lips and he can’t get a word out. “Who’s Asian Champion at this table?”

“You are.”

“And what titles do you have?”

“None.”

None that Ryouga would recognise. Not right now, anyway.

“So listen when I give you advice, ok?”

Vector sighs and floats over. “Only Nasch could have you that whipped.”

Durbe’s cheeks warm slightly, he adjusts his glasses absently and nods. He’s not sure who he’s nodding to though. Vector’s right. Only Nasch could ever speak to him like that without reprimand. But Durbe doesn’t open his mouth to scold him. He’s so much like Nasch it hurts. Even his gestures remind him of Merag.

“So listen, ok?” Ryouga says, taking Saint Shield and sliding a new card over in its place. “Just because I’d feel bad taking your Barian’s Force without giving you something in return, you understand?”

“Oh, what is he? A anime romance interest?” Vector mutters. Durbe does his best to continue ignoring him but it’s getting harder. And he makes a mental note to stop turning on the TV for Vector to keep him quiet at night. “This is disgusting, Durbe. If he starts blushing and stuttering, I’m out of here.”

If only that were true.

“Of course,” Durbe says, focusing on Ryouga and the cards. “I’m sure you can help me get better. Maybe I’ll be a challenge for you eventually.”

“I’d like that.” Durbe smiles and Ryouga’s cheeks do go a little bit pink “I mean, it’d be interesting. You deck is interesting. It’s always interesting to see a deck type I’ve never seen before.”

“Interesting, then?”

Ryouga groans and tilts his head back as Vector laughs madly, his voice sliding up into something cuter and sweeter. “‘ _It- it’s not like I like you or anything, idiot!_ ’ and then next thing you know he’s falling suggestively into your lap.”

Vector is definitely losing his TV privileges.

 

“Are you paying attention?” Ryouga snaps. Durbe nods quickly. “First we’ve got to deal with these decks. How come you have more than one anyway. They’re so different. Shining and Umbral? And Holy Lightning? It’s like you’ve got split personalities or something.”

“Not me,” he sighs, glaring at Vector out the corner of his eyes. Ryouga glances up at him and scowls. “You wouldn’t believe me.”

“Try me.”

Durbe glances at Vector once more, who shrugs and is no help at all. It’s Vector, why would he be? So Durbe sighs again and meets Ryouga’s gaze.

“Alright. I’m in the company of an other dimensional being who can only be seen by people sensitive to a certain energy. They’re his card. They’re a manifestation of his soul. Although, I do wonder why I can summon your cards and not your Numbers, Vector.”

“You know, I never thought about that,” Vector mutters. “I’d assume it’s because you’re in this pathetic form, but we may have to do some investigating in your true form.”

 

Ryouga is silent.

 

He’s staring at Durbe. Durbe offers a smile and Ryouga shakes his head.

 

“You believe in aliens,” he says finally. “You believe in invisible ghost aliens who duel.”

 

Vector laughs and Durbe chuckles. Well, when he put it like that, it did seem a little far fetched. Ryouga scowls and Durbe shakes his head.

“It belonged to a friend.  Turned out he wasn’t really our friend though.” As if that wasn’t obvious from the start. But they at least thought Vector was on their side, even if they didn’t get along. “He gave up duelling, abandoned everything we’d all once stood together to protect. I just hang onto it, in case he ever changes his mind. In case the him we thought we had comes back.”

“Wow, Durbie,” Vector giggles. “Either you’re a better actor than I give you credit for, or you really believe that drivel. I’m me and I hated Nasch. Hated him. Loathed him. Despised him…”

Vector continues to go through an entire thesaurus on hate. Durbe couldd be almost impressed by his extensive vocabulary. Vector’s always been rather eloquent though, even if what he’s saying is deplorable. But the second Ryouga lets out a slow breath and nods, Durbe tunes Vector out completely.

 

“I’m glad,” Ryouga says finally. “I was worried for a moment there. I thought I’d got involved with someone weird. Now pay attention while I teach you how to actually build a deck.”

“Whatever you say, boss.”

“Oh, I’m going to be sick,” Vector hisses. “You’re disgusting. Both of you. I need to start a new points system.”

 He vanishes back into the pendant.

 

Thank goodness.


	2. And I Weren't Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's kind of fluffy then it's kind of angsty

School is hell.

So Durbe lies on the roof in silence rather than going to class, gazing up at the sky as the clouds pass. They’re soft and fluffy and peaceful, unlike the hot, acidic clouds of the Barian world. Most people put his struggles down to him being obviously foreign and transferring in. He’s getting there. He thinks.Even so, he'd rather be out here and study in his own time, where people can't see him struggle.

“There you are.” Durbe jerks up and Ryouga sneers, hands on his hips as Durbe’s heartbeat slowly. “Still skipping classes?”

“I don’t… really like classes,” Durbe admits. Ryouga nods and climbs up the ladder to sit next to him beneath the water tower. “I’m not reallys sure I like Heartland City much at all. It gives me a strange feeling.”

“You’re never going to make friends with that attitude,” Ryouga scolds.

“I have you, don’t I?”

Ryouga blinks at him and Durbe turns away. He doesn’t want to make friends. He doesn’t see why he has to. He’s only here to find Nasch. If Ryouga is Nasch, Durbe wants to be with him, help him remember, take him home. If he’s not, Durbe will walk away and feel nothing.

“You should make other friends.”

“Why?”

“Because someone like you shouldn’t hang out with someone like me.”

“It’s a bit late for that. I’m sorry, Ryouga, but you’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

Ryouga frowns and tilts his head away. What’s with that look? Durbe frowns and pokes his arm lightly. Ryouga jumps as if shocked and Durbe chuckles. He’s so broody it’s almost cute. Humans really are ridiculous sometimes.

 

“What’s really going on, Ryouga? Are you in trouble again?”

“Nah, V would kill me if I got involved in gangs again. Apparently, looking like a delinquent is one thing but actually acting like one is another entirely.”

“Have you got to meet IV yet?”

Ryouga sighs and shakes his head. “Not properly. I’ve seen in in passing. I think he lives with them. He’s always followed around by III but he ignores me. I tried to talk to him but he just walks passed like I don’t exist.”

Durbe nods. Soon after he and Ryouga met, Ryouga had been approached by V, the man who managed IV’s duelling career. Spending time with Ryouga, he’d learnt IV was a popular professional duellist who’d been favourite to win the championship title Ryouga now held, that they’d faced each other in the finals and that Ryouga is something of a fan.

V seems to want Ryouga to quit school completely and be tutored with IV and whoever this III boy is. Ryouga doesn’t seem to know much about III either, from what he’s mentioned, just that he follows IV around.

Durbe isn’t sure he likes the situation, but he can’t say anything just yet.

 “So, what is going on?” Durbe says. “Why are you pushing me away all of a sudden?”

“I’m just…” He frowns and shakes his head. “There’s some weird stuff out there, Durbe, you know? Weird people and dangerous stuff. Everyone I’ve ever care about…”

“You’re worried about me? For me?” Ryouga turns away sharply, glaring at the opposite building. Durbe chuckles and shakes his head. “I’m alright with weird, Ryouga, and I’m alright with dangerous. You’re my friend. I’ll be with you no matter what trouble you’re in.”

 

Durbe smiles and stands. He’s about to make a huge mistake. Either the biggest mistake of his life, or the biggest step towards finding Nasch in his time on Earth.

Ryouga takes Durbe’s hands when he offers them, and he helps Ryouga to his feet. He looks a little wary, but Durbe doesn’t blame him. He guides Ryouga to the edge of the roof, watching the school grounds beneath them, but not releasing Ryouga’s hand.

“Do you trust me, Ryouga?”

“I…” Durbe smiles a little and Ryouga frowns. “You know, me suggesting you make other friends isn’t this much of a big deal.”

“Do you trust me, Ryouga?”

“Durbe,” Vector says, appearing behind him. “What are we doing? Are we jumping? Is that how we’re testing him? I mean, I know you could probably survive, but if he does, then-”

“Yes,” Ryouga says determinedly, meeting Durbe’s gaze. “You’re my friend.” He squeezes Durbe’s hand. “I’ll be with you no matter what.”

“Then close your eyes,” Durbe says.

“Wait, really?” Vector says, moving around in front of them. “Really? You’re actually going to kill a human?”

Ryouga frowns, tugging at Durbe’s hand, trying to pull him away from the edge but Durbe just smiles turns his back on the drop. “Durbe-”

“Let me show you, Ryouga,” Durbe says. “Weird and dangerous. There’s nowhere better for it than by my side. Trust me.”

Ryouga glares at him for a moment before nodding. He closes his eyes and Durbe opens a discreet starry portal beneath them.

“I will never let anything harm you again, my friend.”

 Durbe steps back and drops his weight back. Ryouga’s grip on his hand tightens but he steps with him, letting them both fall from the rooftop. Durbe’s sure Vector says something ridiculously rude as they drop through the portal but the familiar rush of flying and falling all at once is enough to drown him out.

 

They land with a dull thud and a groan and a huff.

 

Ryouga’s weight is squarely on top of Durbe, keeping him flat on his back in the soft grass. He opens his eyes slowly to Vector hovering above them, face crinkled in a way that Durbe isn’t sure if it’s disapproving or amused. Maybe both.

“Ryouga,” Durbe says quietly. “Are you alright?”

Ryouga groans a little and Durbe offers him a reassuring smile as he pushes himself up, staring around at the woody glade they’re lying in. He staggers slightly as he pushes himself to his feet, passing straight through Vector and getting a glare for that too. Durbe sits up slowly, watching Ryouga looking around.

“Are we dead?” Ryouga says, eyes narrowed slightly. “Is this what being dead is like? I mean, we just stepped off the roof.”

“I told you,” Durbe replies. “Life around me can be just as weird and dangerous as whatever you think you’re getting involved with. If I’d not known what I was doing, we might have been experiencing an afterlife right now.”

“So much for the pushing a potential Barian off a cliff test,” Vector sighs. “Just when I was starting to think you might be fun, Durbe.”

 

“What did you do?” Ryouga says, turning to Durbe again. “How did we- Is this some sort of AR trick?”

“No trick. As long as you trust me, I can take you anywhere.”

“How? What’s going on? Who- what are you? Durbe?”

 Durbe chuckles and Ryouga sits on his knees in front of him. There’s a softness about his face that Durbe adores. A warmth and wonder in his eyes. It’s all Durbe can do to keep from blurting out that he can do it too. That he’s Nasch. That he’s sure Ryouga is Nasch. He has a home. He has his sister. Family. Friends.

Durbe.

“It’s magic,” Durbe says instead. Ryouga scowls. “If I told you, I would have to kill you I’m afraid.”

“You would?” Vector says, turning to them. “Oh, then by all means, tell him the truth.”

“Magic, huh?” Ryouga says.

“Don’t you believe in magic?”

“Not at all. I mean, there's weird stuff, but I believe in what’s in my hands.”

“Then what about you and me?” Durbe says softly. Ryouga frowns and Vector wrinkles his muzzle. “Perhaps it’s just me, but I’m comfortable with you. More than with anyone else. Like I’ve known you all my life and longer.” He hand went to his chest, to the place where his central gem should be. “Perhaps that’s just me.”

 

Ryouga stares at him for a moment, considering him silently. Durbe wonders if he’s gone too far. If Ryouga isn’t ready to hear something like that. But it’s the truth. Durbe hasn’t felt this content since Nasch vanished. Something feels right around Ryouga.

“Perhaps,” Ryouga says.

Durbe smiles. He doesn’t push it. Good enough.

 

Ryouga lies back, watching the leaves moving above them in the breeze. The shadows and sunlight move slowly across his face. Durbe can’t help thinking how peaceful Ryouga looks. Like when he and Nasch would sit together by the Sea of Ill Intent. Nasch would grumble about how much he hates the sea. How he thought seas should be clear and full of life.

Durbe wonders if Nasch might have been to the human world before. He seemed to have been describing the human oceans. It would make sense of a lot of things, if Nasch had been here before. His descriptions of the oceans, the sharks that filled his deck that had never been a part of their world.

Had Nasch been to Earth before, sat in sunlight like this, resting and peaceful away from the war they were preparing for?

“You’ve got that look again,” Nasch says. Durbe glances down at him. “Like you’re a world away rather than next to me, Durbe.”

“Somedays, I think I remember something before this,” Durbe whispers. “A different world. A different time. Life before. Still war. Always war, but moments of peace-”

“You’re so weird.”

Durbe pauses and tilts his head. Vector is laughing and Durbe remembers. Not Nasch. Not yet. Perhaps never. _Ryouga_. It’s just Ryouga right now.

“Am I?”

“Very.”

Durbe smiles and nods. That’s fine. Ryouga’s eyes are closed and he looks more at peace than Durbe’s ever seen him. Just as Durbe feels at peace with him.

“Well, this is boring,” Vector says. “Yell when you work it out.”

Work what out?

Vector vanishes before Durbe can question him. Whatever it is, it’s not important right now.

 

Ryouga’s fist closes around Durbe’s tie and yanks him down to the grass with him. Durbe doesn’t argue with him. He lies at Ryouga’s side in silence, taking in the cool breeze and quiet rustle of leaves. Peace and quiet away from the city. Just the two of them.

“You never did tell me about what weird stuff you’re getting involved with,” Durbe says.

“You have to tell me about what you were saying just now about wars,” Ryouga replies. “And how you did that weird jumping off the roof thing.”

“Never mind.”

Ryouga frowns. “That’s not fair. Although, you’ve got a pretty good way to get us out of class now. Where can we go?”

“Anywhere. Anywhere in the world as long as I can picture it.”

“I’ll have to think about how to take advantage of that then.”

“Give me your orders and I’ll follow them, my friend,” Durbe says softly.

“I bet you said that to him too," Ryouga says. “That friend of yours. The one you lost and who you’ve been looking for."

"Once or twice."

"He must be really lucky. To have someone like you willing to go to the end of the world for him.”

“More than one world,” Durbe replies, nodding a little. Ryouga snorts. “I’d do anything for him, to know he’s out there somewhere, safe and well and just… lost or stuck or can’t remember, I don’t know. Just out there.”

“And yet you’re here with me?”

“Even I’ll burn out if I don’t take a break every now and again.”

Durbe sighs. He can hardly tell Ryouga the whole truth, can he? He wishes he could. Just more time. He can figure out if Ryouga really is Nasch or just a good imitation. Once he’s certain, then he can tell him.

Or move on. Durbe has to remember that leaving Heartland City, and Ryouga, is an option.

 

“Is that why you’re in Heartland?” Ryouga says after a while of silence. “To find him? You don’t seem like you have any family or anyone looking after you. Aren’t you a bit young to just be wandering around looking for him?”

“No one would listen to us.”

Durbe hates lying to him, especially when he could be lying to Nasch, but it’s  necessity. The very fact that he can lie so easily is proof that he’s spent far too much time around Vector. He can only hope Nasch will forgive him if he turns out to truly be Ryouga.

“None of us had any family anyway. We all live together in the same institute. Who cares if one of us goes missing. Most adults said he’d probably just run away. Some of the other kids said he was dead, they’d seen it, he was dead and they body had been moved.”

“That’s...”

“Awful?” Ryouga nods. “So I left too. I’ve been looking for him ever since. I saw someone I thought was him once, on a bus to Heartland City. So I followed.”

“You’ve been here months… hanging out with… me?” Ryouga sits up, frowning down and him, eyes wide and colour draining from his face. “Durbe, I’m not-”

“Oh, no. No, I know,” Durbe says, shaking his head quickly. Ryouga frowns. “I know. It’s not you. Your duelling is quite frankly subpar when measured again his.”

“What?”

“And your attitude leaves much to be desired.”

“My attitude?”

“The only thing that seems to be similar about the two of your is your ridiculous obsession with sharks.”

“Ok,” Ryouga says, putting his fingers to Durbe’s mouth lightly. “That’s enough from you about how inadequate I am compared to your crush.”

“Not completely inadequate. Just mostly.” Ryouga scowls and Durbe pulls his hand away. “Even so, if I could never have him again, being with you, makes the idea sort of bearable.”

Ryouga stares at him for a moment before turning away, with his cheeks dusted pink again, grumbling something about him being a sentimental idiot. Durbe doesn’t care. Ryouga does make him happy. He does make him smile. Why shouldn’t he admit it?

“You’re not allowed to talk for the rest of the time we’re here. You’re so embarrassing.”

Durbe doesn’t bother arguing. He stays quiet until Ryouga starts up conversation again. It’s natural and easy with Ryouga, despite the teasing and his blunt attitude.

 

It’s late when Durbe makes Ryouga close his eyes and returns them to the school gates in the setting sun. Ryouga mutters that he has to tell him how he does it sooner or later. Durbe just shrugs with a noncommittal ‘maybe’.

Ryouga is walking away when Durbe notices Vector next to him again, watching something else. Durbe follows his gaze. There’s a figure on the roof that he and Ryouga had vanished from. He frowns and tilts his head. Whoever he is, he’s watching them.

Vector hisses almost like a cat and Durbe frowns.

“What?”

“He feels like Mizael.”

“Mizael?” Durbe frowns and watches the figure for a moment before turning away. “It’s unimportant.”

“There’s a huge Numbers energy from him.”

Durbe nods but doesn’t bother saying anything. It doesn’t matter. He turns away and shifts his bag on his shoulder as he walks away. Vector follows along behind him and Durbe considers the situation quietly.

 “Speaking of Numbers,” Vector says. “We’re leaving, right? Onto find the next potential Nasch and busy busy, as always.”

“Why would we?” Durbe says.

“Did you really not notice?” He sighs and tilts his head. What now? “Were you so busy making goo-goo eyes at him you didn’t sense it?” Durbe shakes his head and doesn’t bother to argue that point. “Your precious Ryouga has a Number.”

 

Durbe freezes mid-stride.

 

“You’re sure?”

“As a creature made entirely of energy, I am at least a million times more sensitive to it than you. I figured you’d sense it eventually, but apparently not. So time to go, right?”

Durbe nods slightly. He’s right. Time to go.

Barians couldn’t actually handle Numbers as they were. Not without their true forms and powers. Not without some way to tap into their Barian energy. Durbe had his Barian Lapis but using it would be far too obvious day to day.

Vector’s right. If Ryouga has a Number, there’s no possible way he could be Nasch. Ryouga was just another dead end. Another false lead.

Durbe sighs.

For the first time since he started this search, he’s genuinely sorry that he’s found an answer. He’d liked Ryouga. He’d hoped he was Nasch as more than just hoping to find Nasch. Now it’s time to go.

 

“Or did you mean it when you said?” Vector says. He sounds almost concerned for Durbe. “Could you accept like without Nasch and settle down with fish boy? Accept Nasch is dead. Be happy and human with Ryouga.”

Durbe frowns and shakes his head. Vector’s being ridiculous. Failure has always been an option. They’ve been looking for close to a decade. They’ve met a lot of potential Nasch candidates. They’ve met they for a few weeks or months. He’s grown attached to some and decided quickly there’s no way he couldn’t hate them more.

 _Ryouga’s different_ , says a traitorous voice in the back of his mind. One that sounds suspiciously like Vector.

“Time to go,” Durbe say, pulling out his D-Gazer.

“You’re actually saying goodbye this time?”

Durbe pauses, hand around his D-Gazer. Why is he saying goodbye this time? Ryouga is just another human who isn’t Nasch. Vector’s right. There’s no point. Just another human. Ryouga isn’t different. He shouldn't be different.

 

Some days, some very strange days, Vector is Durbe’s grounding.

 

“It’s not like I’d object to staying in Heartland,” Vector says casually. “Assuming you’re right, which is a big leap of faith, and Nasch really is alive and just in this world, if he hasn’t returned yet, he’s likely to only come back if and when you find him. Therefore, you giving up and staying here with your little replacement goldfish would get rid of him just as well.”

“Nasch is alive,” Durbe says firmly. “We’re going to find him.”

“Of course. Because heaven forbid you’d put your happiness or his above finding something that might not even exist anymore. You never change.”

 But Durbe has changed.

Because Ryouga is different. Durbe can’t fight that, not matter how much he wishes he could, he can’t. Durbe turns his attention back to his D-Wheel. Ryouga is different and this time Durbe has to say goodbye. It’s a small change, but it’s a change. It’s a first.

“Urgh, whatever,” Vector huffs. “At least let me watch some soaps on the train this time. Don’t hog it all with your dumb history documentaries.”

Durbe nods absently as he taps out a message to Ryouga.

 

>> _I’m sorry. Something’s come up. I had fun. Goodbye._

 

At least it ended on a high for the two of them.


	3. This Body I'd Fogotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito turns up and it's kinda cute again.

 Durbe’s D-Gazer flashes again. Vector leans over and Durbe pulls his bed covers up over his head, blocking out the light and the noise.

 And Vector.

 “I don’t think he’s going to stop, Durbe,” Vector says. “You toss it in the river. That’d shut it up.”

 “I’ll toss you in there with it,” Durbe mutters. “Now let me sleep.”

 “You’re Barian, you don’t need sleep,” he replies. Durbe ignores him. “You’re not going to find Nasch by sulking, Durbe.”

 “You’re not my mother,” he snaps. “Go away.”

 Why does he seem to be saying that all the time now? Vector’s not his mother, he needs to stop babying him. He’s not even a friend. And yes, Durbe should have left Heartland City by now. He should be walking away. But instead, he’s left his small apartment and is now hanging out in a hotel, using Barian’s Force - abusing Barian’s Force really - to ensure he’s not disturbed.

 

 Ryouga has not taken his goodbye with the grace Durbe had hoped. Over the week he’s been away, Durbe has been ignoring a message every few hours. A lot more often the first night. Ryouga had demanded to know what had happened, where he was going, why it had to be so sudden. Then onto why was Durbe ignoring him, why wouldn’t he even say goodbye properly and in person, why wasn’t he at his home, why had he left so quickly.

 What if Ryouga came with him? He had nothing to hold him in Heartland, after all.

 Durbe couldn’t reply to any of his messages. He doesn’t know why Ryouga won’t accept things are done between them. He doesn’t know why he hasn’t just tossed the D-Gazer away and moved on. He just can’t.

 “Oh, come on, Durbe,” Vector sighs. “You’re no fun when you’re moping around. Call him back or something.”

 “Go away.”

 “Fine.”

 Thank goodness.

 

 Unfortunately, it’s only half an hour or so before there’s a banging at his door. Vector is nowhere to be seen, apparently back in the pendant. Durbe forces himself up and opens, the door, about to use the Barian’s power to get rid of whoever was there, but pauses.

 “Ryouga.”

 “Durbe.”

 Durbe sighs and steps aside so Ryouga can come in. There’s no point trying to turn him away now he’s here. However he’d found him, he’s obviously determined to see him. He smiles and tilts his head. He really is just like Nasch, of course he’s not going to just let Durbe walk away. He should have left town. How did he even know Durbe was here?

 “So urgent you had to dump me without warning,” Ryouga says, sitting on the foot of the bed. “But not so urgent you have to actually leave town? Sounds like it’s me you’ve got the problem with.”

 Durbe frowns and folds his arms, eyes narrowed slightly. He’s too much like Nasch sometimes. He won’t let it go easily. He nods slightly and Ryouga scowls. There’s no point lying if he’s this determined.

 “You have a Number card.”

 Ryouga’s eyes widen. Pretty much confirming he’s right. Vector had been right. Ryouga frowns and takes out a card, showing it to Durbe. Number 47. Nightmare Shark. Durbe frowns and shakes his head. Ryouga is watching him curiously, obviously searching for answers. He doesn’t seem to know quite what he’s got either.

 

 “Do you understand what this is?” Durbe says. Ryouga frowns a little. “What do you know about Numbers?”

 “V gave it to me,” Ryouga explains, gripping the card a little tighter. “V said that him, III and IV are collecting them. He said they’re dangerous. They start off blank and then, when someone picks them up, they form a card based on their subconscious.”

 “For the most part.”

 “They had this blank card in front of me and when I took it, it became this. Nightmare Shark. They said these Numbers can possess people. They intensify their desires and bring out a darkness in them. That they can drive people to insanity and crime and all sorts of things. From what I’ve seen so far, I think I believe them.”

 Durbe nods a little. It’s interesting that Ryouga doesn’t seem possessed. He doesn’t seem anything but normal. There’s no difference. And if Vector’s only picked up on his Number energy recently, then it’s obviously a recent addition. But Ryouga seems no different. He had heard the possession could only be truly noticeable during a duel where the Number was on the field, but even so, it seems odd.

 “V told me they’re dangerous, that they have the power to bring out terrible evils, even to destroy the world if enough of them are gathered in one place. So we hunt them.”

 “And you’re unquestioning of their motives for hunting such a dangerous force?” Durbe says.

 “Of course not!” Ryouga snaps. “V wants to save his father, so he can have his family back. He wants to look after his little brothers.” Durbe frowns and Ryouga stands slowly. “Is that why you’re suddenly abandoning me? Because of this card?”

 

  Durbe frowns and turns away, wandering to the window and glaring down at the city below. What’s he supposed to do? How can he explain any of this? Ryouga has a Number. He can’t be Nasch. So why is Durbe even humouring him?

 “When we first met,” Ryouga says slowly. “That cafe, you said something about Numbers. You brushed it off as a joke, but you said something about not being able to summon a Number.”

 Durbe’s frown deepens.There’s something going on. There’s a huge Numbers energy nearby. The world outside seems… frozen. He glances up at the clock. The hands aren’t moving. He turns slowly and pulls Ryouga towards the window, turning to glare at the door.

 “Vector,” he hisses.

 “Who?” Ryouga snaps.

 “It’s him,” Vector says, appearing at his side. “The one who was watching us. The one who feels like Mizael.”

 Durbe nods and the door opens casually. A young blond man in black and white enters with a robot right behind him. Vector’s right, now they’re in closer proximity, he can feel the same presence. That probably isn’t a good sign.

 

 “I take it you followed Ryouga here,” Durbe says quietly, adjusting his glasses.

 “Me?” Ryouga snaps. “Why would he-”

 “You must think you’re interesting, if you think I would allow my prey to continue running, just so he might lead me to his master,” the boy replies.

 “Prey?” Durbe pushes Ryouga back as he goes to step forward again. “Who do you think you are?”

 “The rumoured Number Hunter, I would assume,” Durbe said, his voice dropping from the childish, soft tones he uses as school and instead taking on the commanding tone he uses for addressing his subordinate friends. “Your reputation precedes you. Unfortunately, _boy_ , I am far out of your league, my Numbers cannot be taken from me others can, and I will not allow you to harm Ryouga in any way.”

 “Numbers that I can’t hunt is an interesting idea,” the boy says. He strides over and sits on the bed casually. “But then, you are full of interesting things.” Ryouga tries to step forward again, but Durbe keeps his arm out in front of him, keeping him back. “You’re connected to other worlds. I’m researching those worlds. I am curious as to what you can tell me.”

 “Other worlds?” Ryouga snaps. “Stop ignoring me. What’s going on?”

 “Tell your pet to shut up, Durbe,” Vector says, floating around the blond. “This one’s far more interesting.”

 Durbe’s eyes narrow a little. Ryouga is not a pet. But the blond is glaring at Ryouga too and Durbe pushes him back a little further.

 “If you don’t want any harm to come to the child, perhaps you should send him away.”

 “That works too,” Vector says as Ryouga’s fist clenches against the back of his shirt. “I like this one, Durbe. He’s way more interesting. He’s cold. I think he has a nasty streak too. Maybe he’s Nasch.”

 “Allow me to offer you an incentive to give me your information,” the boys says. He fixes his gaze on Ryouga. “Kamishiro Ryouga.”

 Ryouga stiffens. Durbe tucks him gently closer, patting his side lightly. It’s fine, his championship makes him easy to find information on. Someone like this boy has obviously researched his prey at least a little before coming out here.

 “Holder of Number 47 Nightmare Shark. There is someone who is incredibly keen for you and I to duel. For me to hunt your Number and your soul.”

 “Someone… wants my soul?”

 “Why?” Durbe snaps.

 “Tell me about how you have these powers? Your other world energy is beyond any Number or Numbers hunter I’ve encountered.”

 “Ryouga, leave us.”

 “What?!” Ryouga snaps. “No! No way, I’m not leaving you with some guy who’s just talked about stealing souls.”

 “Ryouga-”

 “Durbe, don’t you trust me?!”

 

 Durbe sighs and shakes his head a little. Ryouga’s grip goes slack and Durbe can’t turn to look at him, to see the pain he’s causing him. Vector is laughing about how cruel it is, how sweet and broken and childish Ryouga looks and Durbe can’t block him out no matter how much he tries. 

 “Durbe-”

 “Go,” Durbe hisses. “You should never have come here. You should have just left it how it was.”

 “Durbe-”

 “Just go!”

 There’s a moment of heavy, tense silence, before there are finally footsteps moving across the room and the door slams. Vector is still laughing about how pathetic Ryouga had looked and the urge to throw the pendant in the river is rising again.

 “You must have really cared about hm to do that,” the boy says.

 “Perhaps,” Durbe replies. “But having forced my hand like that, you have little good will from me. So ask your questions quickly and be done with it.”

 “Fine. I want to know what you know about the other worlds. Why are you other world energies so strong?”

 “Before I tell you anything, there is one important question,” Durbe says. “Barian or Astral?”

 “The tin can has huge levels of Barian energy,” Vector points out. Durbe nods. “Feels like home.”

 “Barian, I believe. Orbital 7 runs on Barialite crystal and our technology supposedly comes from Barian crystal technology.”

 “In that case, allow me explain the situation properly.”

 Durbe lifts his wrist and his lapis flashes into life. The boy frowns and the robot chirps about Barian energy levels rising. Vector groans, sounding far too pleased as he whispers about it feeling like home. It does. It’s so warm and comforting. Home.

 

 Once the boy has as many answers as Durbe is willing to give him, he leaves without argument. Of course, it’s an edited version of the truth. He can’t be entirely honest. But it suits the boy and he leaves them in peace. He even returns the favour and tells them who wants Ryouga's soul to be hunted. The name means nothing to Durbe, but he wonders if perhaps Ryouga knows more. Someone doesn't do something as extreme as encourage a Number hunter without good reason.

 Durbe doesn’t return to his human form though. He gazes over at the door on the latch.

 “You may as well come in, Ryouga. I know you’re there.”

 Ryouga pushes open the door slowly and stares at him in silence as the door closes behind him. He heard everything, he may as well see it as well. That was part of why Durbe had kept the truth edited and quiet. So Ryouga didn’t know everything.

 “Durbe,” Ryouga breathes finally.

 He walks up slowly, pressing his hands slightly to Durbe’s cheeks, looking him over slowly, taking in his new form. Durbe is rather larger than Ryouga in this form. Uncompressed, hard and stoney. His own body. Ryouga’s staring and breathless and so obviously confused.

 “It’s adorable,” Vector giggles. “Oh, he’s so cute, Durbe. You should let me have a human form, let me play with him.”

 “This is… the real you… Durbe...”

 His thumb slides down Durb’e muzzle, where his mouth should be in human form. His fingers travel down Durbe’s body, brushing the gems and sending shivers through him. No human has ever touched a Barian like this. It’s a reminder just how soft humans are compared to Barians.

 

 Ryouga stares at him a few moment longer before nodding to himself and holding up his Numbers card.

 “If this is going to make you leave me, then I’ll throw it away,” he says firmly. “I will rip it up right here if you want.”

 “Ryouga-”

 “But if these Numbers are as powerful as you claim, and if you can’t use them because of what you are, then let me use them and hunt them and gather them for you and we’ll find this Nasch guy together.”

 “Oh, that’s adorable,” Vector laughs.

 “Or maybe you meant what you said about staying with me.”

 “Ryouga, I-” He pauses and glances away. “Heartland has an unusual amount of Numbers energy. It would make sense that Nasch would be drawn here eventually.”

 “ _Wow_ ,” Vector says, floating between them. “You two are as bad as each other. If this keeps up I’m going to struggles to tell which way round this pairing goes.”

 Durbe glares at him discreetly. He’s not entirely sure what Vector’s talking about, but he’s Vector so he’s sure it’s not something he’s approve us. Probably something about his stupid TV shows again.

 

 Ryouga smirks. “You really did think I was your king, huh?”

 “No,” Durbe mutters.

 “I don’t believe you,” Ryouga says. “Now, change back and do you magic teleport thing. You’re living with me from now on, where I can keep an eye on you.”

 “Never mind,” Vector says with a shrug. “I remember now.”

 “Any idea who Thomas Arclight is and why he wants your soul?” Durbe says.

 “No,” Ryouga replies, helping Durbe pack up. “But I doubt it’s coincidence that someone sends the great Tenjou Kaito after my soul days after IV goes missing.”

 Durbe frowns. Ryouga knew who the Numbers Hunter was? “IV’s missing?”

 Ryouga nods. “Went out Number hunting alone one night as I was arriving, never came back. V says they’ve lost his signal completely. III said something about a Galaxy-Eyes before they hushed him up.”

 

 Galaxy-Eyes? Vector and Durbe glances at each other as Durbe returns to his human form. He pushes up his glasses and Ryouga frowns, obviously noticing his distraction. All the more reason to stay, if there’s a Galaxy-Eyes here. No wonder he gave off the same energy as Mizael.

 “I’m glad you talked me into staying, Ryouga,” Durbe murmurs. “I think I may be precisely where I need to be.”

 "At least you being an alien explains why you're so weird," Ryouga says with a small smile and half hearted shrug. "Get on with packing, this place is a dump even by my standards. How can you let someone you think might be your king hang around in a place like this."

 "I'm starting to regret not leaving already."

 "I'm not," Vector giggles. "You two are better than day time TV."


	4. Cut Our Ties With Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vector and Durbe hang out

 “Durbe.” Durbe tries to push Ryouga away but his hand is caught gently. “Durbe, wake up. Durbe.” 

 “Mmm no thanks,” Durbe murmurs, turning over and burying his head in the soft pillow. “I’m good here.”

 “Durbe,” Ryouga insists. “I’ll make you breakfast.” 

 “No,” he groans. 

 “Ok, look, I’ve forged you a note saying you can be off school ‘til the end of the week,” he says firmly. His fingers brush Durbe’s wrist and his dimly aware it’s where his lapis would be. “But you have to promise to come back on Monday. And do all the homework to keep up. That’s the only way you’re getting to stay in bed. You’ve been off long enough.”

 “Alright, bring the homework home for me.”

 Ryouga sighs and the weight on the couch shifts. Durbe sighs and settles back into the bed he’s made on the couch. Apparently Ryouga has a huge mansion, but remains in this small one bedroom apartment, so he doesn’t have to live with the memories of his old life. 

 Durbe understands. If Durbe could forget, if he wasn’t Durbe the Barian Lord, he could move on. He could be happy with Ryouga. He wishes he could be.

 

 “I know you’ve been kind of down recently,” Ryouga says from the kitchen area. “I know it’s important to you, finding this Nasch guy. I don’t pretend I know what’s going on really. You were kinda brief with that Kaito guy and you’ve not really given me much either. But I know that if I was sure Rio was alive and I’d hit another dead end and…”

 Ryouga sighs and Durbe pushes himself up. He folds his arms on the arm of the couch and leans his head down, watching Ryouga making himself breakfast. Ryouga notices him watching and smiles a little, tucking his hair behind his ear. 

 “I’m just saying, I get why you’re kinda depressed. But… I’m glad you’re staying and I’m going to do my best to look after you and help you collect these Numbers and find Nasch. You’re my friend, and I think you’re a good guy, so even if I don’t really get it, I know that if you’re doing it then it has to be for a good reason.” 

 “That’s very kind of you,” Durbe says quietly. 

 He sighs and closes his eyes. “You talked about war.”

 “I did.” He openes his eyes again as Ryouga sits at his feet. So Durbe turns and sits up, watching him with a soft smile. “My home, the Barian World, is facing a great threat. Years ago, our leader, Nasch, vanished, potentially murdered by a Barian Lord named Vector.”

 “You’ve mentioned him.”

 “Yes, he’s-”

 “Don’t tell him about me,” Vector says. Durbe glances over. Vector is floating cross legged in front of the TV, watching some cartoon. “I don’t want him knowing who I really am. If you can have a fresh start, so can I, right?”

 Durbe doesn’t believe it for a second. But he humours Vector for now and instead smiles bitterly at Ryouga. 

 “He he’s the worst Barian Lord.” Ryouga frowns. “The Barian Lords are those who serve the Barian World, and our god Don Thousand. Those who protect our world. And who fight the threat of the Astral World.”

 “Are you one?”

 “Yes.”

 “So, don’t they miss you?” Ryouga says. “You’re important back home, right? So, don’t they need you? Won’t they miss you?”

 “Perhaps,” Durbe replies. He shifts to sit next to Ryouga, leaning against his side and stealing a bite of his eggs. Ryouga smiles a little. He makes no move to stop him. “Mizael, our strongest knight, we were very fond of each other. He has a dragon. Alit, he was the youngest. He was excitable and energetic. Very strong but a bit childish. Gilag. He was sensible. Pragmatic. Easily distractible though.” 

 “It sounds like you really love them,” he says.

 Durbe nods. “Merag, she’s Nasch’s sister. Not that she’d let you know it. She always refuses to be anything because of Nasch. She wants to be her own woman. She’s leading us now Nasch is missing.”

 “And you’re hiding out here?”

 “Not hiding out,” Durbe corrects, taking another mouthful. “Searching. Searching for Nasch.”

 “And this Vector? What happened to him for what he did to Nasch?”

 

 Durbe sighs and closes his eyes. Vector is still watching TV. His attitude gets no matter. He shows no remorse. A new start? As if Vector is capable of ever starting over.

 “He was found guilty,” Durbe says, opening his eyes. Vecto’s watching over his shoulder. “He was thrown in the Sea of Ill Intent, where Don Thousand is sealed. Without going into details, the sea his highly corrosive and our bodies, as you’ve noticed, as stoney. You can fill in the gaps, I’m sure.”

 “Oh my god,” Vector cries, drawing Durbe’s gaze as Ryouga stares. “You dissolved me?! Hypothetical me! Alive, no doubt. That’s how you want to punish me? Wow, you’re a sadistic asshole.” Vector cackles and Durbe sighs. “I didn’t know you had it in your, Durbie I’m impressed.”

 “I argued for his life,” he says with a shrug. “No matter how he suffered in that sea, shouldn’t he have to live with what he’s done? Of course, I want to take his life, as he tried to take Nasch’s. I could never forgive him for what he’s done, but he is one of our people. He is a Lord, no matter how deplorable.”

 “You really are a good man,” Ryouga says quietly as Durbe takes another bite. “For an alien.” He hands Durbe the plate and gets up slowly. “I have to go. Finish it. Try to eat lunch. Try to get up. This depression isn’t good for you. And don’t waste all day with those crappy shows.”

 “What did he just say about my shows?” Vector snaps.

 “And I mean it, school on Monday.”

 “Ok. Ok.” 

 He hurries out the door and Durbe smiles, watching him go. He eats slowly, half heartedly watching the TV through Vector. Ryouga has been good to him. Giving him a home, feeding him. He doesn’t need food to survive really, but he did get hungry. Although, he’s well aware Ryouga is doing it to keep him from trying to wander off again.

 

_  “My turn. Draw!” _

 Durbe lifts his head from the washing up, glancing over at Vector and the TV. “What on earth are you watching?”

 “Battle Creatures,” Vector replies. “But it’s the crappy spin-off.” 

 “I’m sorry?”

 “So you should be,” he says with a sigh. “I’m only watching it because you haven’t changed the channel for me.”

 Durbe rolls his eyes, putting away the dishes and returning to the couch. It’s the least he can do for Ryouga. He pulls the bedding up once more and picks up the remote.

 “Don’t change it now,” Vector snaps. “It’s half way through the episode.”

 “My apologies,” Durbe murmurs. “What’s happening?”

 “The idiot protagonist is trying to make friends with a guy who wants to kill him,” he replies. “Because battles forge bonds between them.” He glances back at Durbe. “Do you want to duel?”

 “It’s half way through an episode,” he says with a small smirk. Vector’s muzzle crinkles. “After the episode.”

 

 The episode isn’t bad. Durbe isn’t sure why Vector says it’s a bad spin off, but he can’t really judge from one episode. 

 Durbe sets up a duel on the table. Vector has a limited edition rubber play mat that he somehow talked Durbe into buying for him, and thankfully doesn’t ask how Durbe has money. He’d badgered him incessantly for it, something about his cards not touching dirty who knows how human germ ridden surfaces - it’s Durbe who handles his cards but Durbe doesn’t bother pointing that out - and he eventually gave in. Having seen the episode, he now realises it’s a Battle Creatures play mat. 

 Vector’s hand sits on a slanted D-Pad stand with a clear plastic tray, making sure Vector can see them and Durbe can only see the back. Vector even sits in the chair opposite as much as he can sit.

 “Do you even have any monsters other than those three?” Vector sneers.

 Durbe narrows his eyes but doesn’t rise to it. “I overlay Holy Lightning Books, Wings, Sword-”

 “You need more combos.”

 “My combos work.”

 “Do the summoning chant.”

 “Summoning chants are stupid when you’re duelling table top.”

 “You never do summoning chants even when it’s not table top. Do that chant.”

 “No.”

 “Holy Lightning Books, Wings, Sword, to Xyz summon-”

 “Urgh, why can’t you be more original?”

 Durbe just rolls his eyes. He doesn’t see why Vector even wants to duel with him anyway, if he’s so offended by Durbe playing in a way he knows to work. Vector might enjoy cutting it close, playing wild new moves to see what might work against certain opponents, doesn’t mean Durbe risks himself. His strategies are fine.

 He’s not really sure why Vector even wants to duel him so suddenly.

 

 “Activate the middle card,” Vector says. Durbe reaches over and flips over Vector’s middle face down. He frowns and reads the text silently as Vector giggles. “So now my monsters are safe and yours are gonners.”

 “You can’t activate that there, the timing’s wrong,” Durbe replies. 

 “No it’s not.”

 “Yes, it is. It won’t work. You can’t use that here.” 

 “Yes I can.”

 “No, you can’t. It’s cheating.” 

 “Durbe!” Vector snaps. He picks up Vector’s monster and putting them in the graveyard. “You’re no fun at all.”

 “Because I don’t let you cheat?”

 “Exactly.”

 Durbe wins.

 Vector’s not happy about it at all, growling that he could have won if he could summon his Numbers. Durbe doesn’t bother pointing out if Vector could summon up his Numbers, Durbe would be able to use his as well. They would simply have been been powered up beyond human levels. 

 

 “So,” Vector says at last, when Durbe is resetting the table and shuffling Vector’s Shining deck. He doesn’t see why Vector wants to play with his other deck, but he doesn’t argue. Vector’s a good duellist, if he’d just focus and stop playing around. “What if we both started over?”

 “Start over?” Vector nods and Durbe sets down Vector’s hand. His muzzle twists in disapproval and Durbe smiles a little. “How so?”

 “I mean, you like it with your little pet human, right?” he says. Durbe nods. “Although, perhaps it’s the other way around and you’re the pet. The point is, let’s stay.” 

 “Stay?” Durbe repeats.

 “Yes. And I swear if you’re about to go Books, Wings, Sword again you will be the first one I sacrifice in my plot for world conquest when I finally get my body back.” 

 “Given what I pathetic threat that was, you’ll forgive me for continuing as planned.” 

 “The point is, let’s stay with Ryouga. This is a good life here. You’re with someone who reminds you of Naschie. I’ve got TV to watch. I’d be happier if I had a body, but I like it here.”

 “You’re up to something.” 

 “Never.” Durbe narrows his eyes and he’s sure Vector would be grinning if he had a mouth. “Alright, listen. I don’t want to be Vector anymore.” 

 “You what?”

 “I don’t want to be Vector anymore.” 

 

 Durbe scowls at him. That doesn’t make any sense. What on earth is Vector up to now? He can’t imagine Vector’s making such ridiculous requests for the fun of it. What’s he doing? Vector doesn’t make any sense sometimes, but he’s sure Vector has some plan. He never does anything without a plan. He’s always got some ulterior motive.

 “You said you believed in me, right?” Vector says. “Not in so many words, but that’s what you meant, right? You want to believe in me. The me you all thought I was.”

 “Vector,” he sighs. “That’s not-” He adjusts his glasses and nods. “I don’t trust you, but it’s true that I want to believe we’re at least on the same side. That, even if you hated Nasch for reasons I can’t imagine, you at least wanted to save our world.” 

 Vector shrugs. “He drove me insane.”

 “You were always insane. I’ve never known you to be otherwise.” 

 “Fine. He  _ annoyed _ me.”

 “Annoyed is a weak motive for attempted murder.” 

 “You really are no fun. And you’ve still got no proof it wasn’t _successful_ murder.” He sighs and floats across the table, apparently abandoning the duel. Durbe sets his hand down where Vector can’t peak anyway. “Look, I’m just saying I…  _ like _ Ryouga.”

 “You…  _ like _ him?” Durbe mutters. “Ryouga? Who reminds you of Nasch as much as me? Who you’ve spent all your time complaining about? What are you up to?”

 “Nothing. I just- I mean- You’re happy with him and life is easy with him and it’s better than chasing off after Nasch all the time and he actually cares about us, ok?!”

 

 Durbe frowns and adjusts his glasses but plays along for now. “So, you want to stay? You want me to stay.” 

 “I want us both to have a fresh start,” Vector mutters, glaring at the wall. “What’s wrong with wanting to forget the past? What’s wrong with wanting a new start with you and Ryouga?” Durbe frowns. “That’s why I’m here, right? You let me live and dragged me along in an attempt to rehabilitate me. You want me to be the me you thought I was. I can’t undo what I’ve done but… What if I can try to be that person from a fresh start?” 

 “And who would that person be?”

 “Rei.” Durbe frowns. “I like it. I’ve heard it on TV a lot. Like zero, you know? Starting from zero.”

 “I hope that wasn’t a points system reference.”

 Vector pulls a face a turns away, leaving Durbe to pack up the decks. He doesn’t believe Vector’s going to change for a second. He wants to. He’d love to believe that Vector can change. That he’ll be on their side, honest and serious. It’s better to be an ally of a creature like Vector than an enemy. But Durbe has too many doubts.

 “How long did you rehearse that for then,  _ Rei _ ?” Durbe says.

 “How _dare_ you? How dare you imply I’ve been anything but honest with you?!” Vector says, sounding positively scandalised as he floats back towards the TV. “Change the channel. It’s time for my morning soaps.” 

 Durbe nods and changes the channel as Vector- Rei demands. “Perhaps… we should let Ryouga take us shopping for new cards tonight. You know he’s been dying to. Try doing things the human way for once.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vector is as disappointed in Durbe's duels as I am. I wish he'd got more duels and more combos and having just watched through Zexal II again, Durbe really doesn't have a summoning chant. He's like the only one in the show so now hc Durbe is just boring and thinks they're dumb.


	5. Proof We’re Truly Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Super cute casual bonding. And Mizael

 “I’m so glad it’s the holidays,” Rei yawns, stretching his arms over his head. He’s picked up a lot of human habits. And so far Durbe has agreed to refer to him as Rei, and it seems to be making a difference, but he’s pretty sure Vector is lurking just beneath the surface still. “Just all day, hanging out, buying cards, duelling, Number hunting, watching TV. Life is good, Durbe. Would be better if I had a body, but I’m pretty content.” 

 Durbe nods a little, more focused on the folder of single cards he and Ryouga are flicking through on the counter, chatting away quietly about which they might need and how to improve their decks. Durbe keeps 102 and 104 in mind at all times. No matter how much they change their decks, it’s important to have their Numbers still work. 

 Ryouga is a good Number hunter. While they don’t actively hunt the Numbers, when one comes along, Ryouga is incredibly good at tracking them down and taking them. The school break makes it easier. And more fun for them. He spends more time with Ryouga, exploring the human world. As time passes, Durbe finds he can start to forget everything else. He can start to forget the pain and suffering that lead them here. 

 “If your decks are a manifestation of your souls, can’t you just summon new cards?” Ryouga says. 

 “Perhaps,” Durbe replies. Ryouga smiles, handing over the money for a few new cards. “Maybe I just like hanging out with you like this.” 

 Ryouga laughs a little, taking his new cards and booster packs and leading the way to a table at the back of the card shop. They spread out their new cards on the table, slowly picking through for anything of interest to either of them. 

 Ryouga likes duelling in the card shops. Durbe doesn’t so much, his cards, while recognised by duel disks and AR, aren’t technically legal and neither are the Numbers. It’s a good way to get into arguments with more serious tabletop players. But it is is a good place to hear what rumours there were among duellists. A great way to find Numbers.

 

 “Hey, you’re Kamishiro Ryouga, right?” Ryouga lifts his head at the voice to find a kid smiling at him. “You’re the one who beat IV at nationals.”

 “Yeah,” Ryouga says quietly. “That’s me.”

 “I’m a huge fan of both of you,” the kid says. “You go to Heartland Academy, right? That’s so cool. I’m starting there soon. What’s IV like?”

 “I’m not sure,” he replies with a small smile. “I didn’t get to see him much before nationals.”

 “Is it true he’s gone missing? He’s not been around much since you beat him and he’s not been seen in public in months. To summarise, people are saying he couldn’t handle losing and has run away.”

 “I’ve not see him,” Ryouga replies. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t say. V doesn’t talk about his clients, even with each other.”

 “Too bad. Uh, can I have your autograph, please?”

 Ryouga smiles and takes the book, signing without argument. He’s good with his fans. Durbe loves seeing him smile and the smiles he brings to his fans in return.

 

 IV going missing is concerning, but Ryouga says V and III have stopped talking about him now. He says III always looks somewhere between tears and furious anger these days. It’s pretty obvious III and V have come to the same conclusion as Ryouga, Durbe and Rei. IV had fallen to the Numbers Hunter. Tenjou Kaito. 

 Ryouga hadn’t said much about him or how he knows who he is. Apparently V mentioned him once in passing, sounding very bitter, but that’s all Durbe can get him to say. 

 “Gauche. Your cards came in,” the cashier calls. 

 “Oh?” Rei giggles. “It’s your Numbers Hunter.”

 “Yours too, Thomas.”

 Durbe turns and Ryouga follows his gaze, noticing his distraction. Kaito and a few others are at the counter. One in a white hooded jacket takes some cards and Kaito hands over a card to pay.

 “I can’t believe you’re getting all this on expenses,” a larger man says, taking some cards too. 

 “And why, when the labs can make you specialised monsters,” the woman agrees. “And don’t scold him for buying personal cards on expenses when you’re doing the same.”

 “No, I’m treating him,” the boy in white replies quietly. Ryouga tilts his head slightly and Durbe frowns. His face is covered by a hood and blond bangs. “Kaito won’t let me hunt Numbers, and Photon monsters and the lab are only for hunters.”

 “Imagine it’d be something dumb, like Photon Creepy Puppet, anyway,” the man laughs. 

 “Like they’d let me keep my puppets.”

 “Enough,” Kaito murmurs, looking straight over at Ryouga and Durbe. The others follow his gaze and the man in white turns away. “Let’s go.”

 “They’re all Number hunters,” Durbe hisses as the group leaves.

 “I know his voice,” Ryouga whispers, getting up. Durbe frowns, gathering up his cards as Ryouga did the same. “I know who Thomas is. I just can’t place him.”

 Durbe frowns but nods, hurrying out after him, watching the group’s back walking away. Thomas’ voice had been soft and weak and hoarse. Strained and tired. Like he’s hurting and barely holding himself together.

 

 Ryouga bursts out into the street to see the group walking away. Thomas tilts his head, gazing back at them under his hood for a moment but Kaito shoves him on with a firm hand between his shoulders.

 “Oi, what’s your problem?!” Ryouga yells after them. Thomas stops but Kaito shoves him on again. “Hey! You want my soul and my Numbers, come and get them yourself!”

 Thomas stops and turns but the two others catch his arms and pull him along as Kaito stops, turning to glare at them. 

 “Don’t give him ideas,” Kaito snaps. “Given you were eavesdropping I’m sure you heard he’s not allowed to hunt. He’s hard enough to deal with as it is. I don’t need you winding him up.”

 “Who is he?” Ryouga snaps back, glaring at the retreating trio. “What’s his problem with me? I know his voice, who is he?”

 “I told you,” he replies. Ryouga growls and Durbe squeezes his shoulder gently. He doesn’t blame Ryouga for being upset. Someone wants his soul taken after all. It’s obviously a personal grudge. “His name is Thomas Arclight. Who he is to you or otherwise, I don’t know.” 

 “Then why are you with him?” Durbe says. “Why would you help him if you don’t know him?”

 Kaito scowls and folds his arms. “If someone you once cared for had vanished and you had no idea why or where he went, if years later his younger brother turns up at your door asking for your help to save him, and if that fell in line with your own needs, wouldn’t you want to do what you could? Don’t try to get into a fight with Thomas again. He’s one of the strongest duellist I’ve met and we were taught by the same man. I doubt a child like you could be any challenge.”

 He turns away and strides after his friends, catching up quickly. He holds Thomas’ loose sleeve to keep him walking as they go. Rei drops down closer to Durbe and Ryouga, glaring after them. 

 “Galaxy-Eyes,” Rei hisses. Durbe rolls his eyes. “You can’t trust any of them. And that kid in white. He feels wrong.” Durbe glances at him curiously, adjusting his glasses. “Like Ryouga. There’s something like us but not. How does he use Numbers? We never asked.”

 “How do you control Numbers?” Durbe says quietly. 

 “Umm, this crest this,” Ryouga replies. He raises his hand and a strange symbol glowed red. A matching purple glow appears under Thomas’ sleeve and he quickly pulls it up to his chest. “He-”

 Rei tilts his head. “You don’t suppose…”

 “IV,” Durbe mutters at the same time. “Thomas Arclight is IV.”

 “IV… why would IV…” Ryouga says, staring after them. “I don’t understand. He was supposed to be… why would he-”

 “There’s no point dwelling on it for now,” Durbe says, turning away and pulling Ryouga’s sleeve gently. “We won’t let him do anything to hurt you.”

 “We?” 

 “We.”

 “Why am I involved in this?” Rei mutters, following after them. 

 “Never mind that anyway, we have to get ready for school starting again soon, right?” Durbe says. 

 “Are you sure you’re going to manage going up a year?” Ryouga laughs. “You hated school enough as it was.” 

 Durbe smiles and nods slightly. After Ryouga had forced him back to school he had started to get the hang of it again. Being honest with Ryouga about who and what he is has had helped. Ryouga had been far more understanding of how he struggled, and helped him through. It seemed Ryouga already knew most of the things he’d be studying this year.

 “Yuuma!” 

 They stepped aside as a youngster ran passed, obviously with no ability to stop if they hadn’t. There’s a young girl chasing after him. She smiles and apologises and thanks them before hurrying after him again. 

 “Come on, Kotori!” the boy calls. “Before all the best cards sell out!”

 “Yuuma!”

 “That pendant,” Rei hisses. Durbe tilts his head. There’s a glint of gold around his neck. “The Astral symbol.”

 “Interesting,” Durbe says, turning away.

 “What is?” Ryouga snaps.

 “Nothing.” 

 Durbe smiles and Ryouga doesn’t push. They walk slowly through the city, looking over their cards from the shop. They got some quite good cards in their boosters. 

 

 Half way through the afternoon, Rei gets distracted by a Battle Creatures figure. He ends up floating through the window to admire the figure of one of the creatures with a limited edition card. Eventually Durbe has to explain to Ryouga that one of the other Lords came to Earth once and is a fan to explain why he’s buying what Rei informs him is called Enma of Scattering Petals; a rather androgynous person in grey and white, wrapped in black thorns with wings of red petals and golden feathers.

 How typically Vector.

 Ryouga shoots him a skeptical look, which Durbe ignores, and they leave the shop promptly as Rei starts to look distracted by another figure in the glass cabinet. 

 They end up in a park, sitting on the climbing frame in the sunset. They’ll go back to school in just a few weeks. It’s a shame their weeks just lazing about together are going to come to an end. Their legs dangle over the edge as they eat fresh crepes and Rei has found a screen showing his programs to keep him distracted.

 “So, I never asked,” Ryouga says after a while. Durbe tilts his head. “Were you and Nasch a thing?”

 “A  _ thing _ ?” Durbe repeats. 

 “You know,” he mumbles, glancing away. “Together?” Durbe frowns and nudges his side with his elbow. “A couple? Like, I don’t know, mates or something?”

 “Don’t say it like I’m some animal,” he huffs and Ryouga’s cheeks colour slightly. 

 “Well, I don’t know how to put it. You’re an alien.”

 “You’re an alien to me as well. I should be asking you questions about how your kind mate.”

 Ryouga goes red and Durbe chuckles softly. “I wish I’d never asked. I just meant, you know, you’re wandering around worlds that aren’t your own searching for him. You expect me to believe that’s just friendship?”

 

 “Galaxy-Eyes is back,” Rei calls absently before Durbe can reply. “Urgh, I hate Galaxy-Eyes, you can feel them from a mile off, it’s like the stench of something dead.”

 “Perhaps that’s simply your own death you’re imagining.” Durbe stiffens and turns at the voice approaching. Rei growls, floating back over to Durbe as the blond human glares up at them. “Durbe?”

 “Mizael?”

 “And this?”

 “Are you ignoring me?” Rei hisses.

 “Kamishiro Ryouga,” Durbe explains. Ryouga inclines his head slightly. “Ryouga, this is my dear friend Lord Mizael, the greatest Barian knight.”

 “It’s nice to meet you,” Ryouga mutters. 

 “A human,” Mizael says. “With Numbers, no less. Is this what you’ve been doing all this time?” He glares at Ryouga, who glares back discreetly. “I’m not having this discussion in front of him but it’s time to come home.”

 “Ryouga is aware of the situation, whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of him.” 

 “Fine. This has gone on long enough. We all agree this situation with Nasch has been distracting you from what’s most important. We’ve tried to humour you, we all wanted to believe Nasch was alive and there was hope he would come home and lead us. We all gave you space to grieve, we all understood how important Nasch was to you, how close the two of you were, but it’s been long enough. It’s time to come home and take your place once more and help us protect our home.”

 “There are unusually high levels of Numbers in Heartland City,” Durbe replies, eyes narrowed. He pushes up his glasses and Mizael scowls. “By being here in Heartland I can look after our interests from another side. If Nasch is alive, I’m sure he’ll be drawn here eventually. If not… If not, Ryouga is hunting Numbers for me.”

 “Merag already has several plans in place to gather the Numbers,” Mizael says. “If you get in here way there will be hell to pay, Durbe.”

 “Merag seems to forget I am on an equal footing with her.”

 “You were. Until you left us to find Nasch. You’ve been gone for years. You can’t expect things to be the same as they were.”

 “Why are you here, Mizael?” Durbe snaps. 

 “To take you home,” Mizael hisses.

 

 Durbe scowls. Is it really that important that he went home now? He narrows his eye but nods. If Merag and the others are that desperate to see him, then he’ll go home. 

 Ryouga stares up at him. “Durbe? You’re leaving?”

 “For a bit,” Durbe replies. He smiles and hands over Nasch’s pendant. Ryouga takes it slowly and Mizel scowls furiously. “Look after it for me. It’s very precious to me.”

 “You’re leaving me with him?” Rei snaps.

 “That thing wouldn’t be welcome back home anyway,” Mizael says, turning away and opening a portal. “It belongs on Earth with a human. Let’s go.”

 “Be careful,” Ryouga says softly. 

 “You too,” Durbe replies. “Someone’s hunting you, after all. If you’re ever in danger, put it on. It’ll protect you.” He glances up at Rei, who’s muzzle crinkles. “You’ll have a guardian angel looking after you. I’ll be back in time for school. Don’t get into too much trouble.”

 Durbe jumped from the frame and joins Mizael at the portal. He smiles back at Ryouga with a slight wave before following Mizael into the portal. 

 

 Their bodies reform in the familiar energy of their own world. Durbe sighs softly, flexing his stiff, stoney fingers. It’s been so long he’s starting to grow used to his human form. It’s this body that’s beginning to feel unnatural.

 It’s home. This is his home. His world. But it’s feels so foreign now. So distance and strange. Mizael narrows his eyes at him before turn and striding away. This world that had once felt so natural and comforting now felt hostile and cold. Did Durbe even belong here anymore? 

 “Durbe! You’re home!”

 Durbe doesn’t get a moment to react before he’s tackled to the ground and finds himself staring up at Alit in the red light.

 “It would appear so,” Durbe says quietly.

 “It’s been a long time,” Gilag says, gazing down from behind Alit. “We missed you.”

 “We were starting to think you’d never come home,” Alit says, shaking his head.

 “It feels like no time has passed at all.” Durbe can practically hear Vector’s giggling voice in his ear as the words slip out. “There’s no place I’d rather be than with my home with friends.”

 

_ Liar. _


	6. Instead Of Living As Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now for something completely different. Vector.

 “So you didn’t even make it twenty-four hours without Durbe before ignoring his warning and going out of your way to find trouble?”

 Rei’s quips are going completely unappreciated without Durbe here to pay attention to him. The day without Durbe had been peaceful - if boring - and Rei had followed Ryouga around dutifully as long as he kept Nasch’s pendant close enough. Durbe had asked, near demanded, that Rei watched over him and helped him if necessary. Rei’s not some pet guard dog, but he follows Ryouga anyway. 

 “All for the sake of the Barian world,” Rei sighs with a shrug. “Or at least, the sake of me getting a physical body again. You’d better tell him I did a good job when he gets back, you know? Or there’s going to be a lot of trouble. I’ll haunt you or something. Send you subliminal messages in your sleep.” 

 He pauses and taps his chin. That’s actually not a bad idea. 

 Ryouga is heading down a very obviously dangerous alley. Of course, Rei can’t actually tell him as such but he’s sure he knows. He’s trying to find Thomas, after all. IV.

 It seems to bug Ryouga on a strange level that IV and Thomas Arclight are the same person. That Thomas hates him so much he turned his back on hunting with him, III and V to work with Kaito and ask for Ryouga’s soul to be hunted. Rei supposes he understands. It’s not normal for someone to hate you that much for no reason, right? And if someone hates you that much, it’s important you know why and how to crush them. 

 

 They head down a set of stairs to the lower city and Ryouga hand over a new notes at the door to an obviously shady place. It’s crowded and dark and noisy. Neon lights flicker above them and around them frome half broken arcade games. There’s someone pouring out drinks into mucky looking glasses. A man in the corner with a book taking money and jewellery and almost anything else from the looks of it. 

 Ryouga keeps his hood up and his head low as he moves through the crowds, obviously searching for any sign of Thomas. Why would a former champion duellist be hanging out in a dump like this?

 There’s a familiar prickle of energy and Rei sighs. One of those Galaxy-Eyes bastards again. He floats up above the crowds and see Kaito making him way towards them.

 “You never take a hint, do you?” Kaito says from behind Ryouga. Ryouga spins on his heel and Kaito narrows his eyes. “Stay out of my way and I’ll hold up my end of the deal not to hunt you for now.”

 “That’s hardly fair,” Thomas hisses, stepping up behind Kaito, in a dark red hoodie today. “What about our deal?”

 “I said for now,” he replies and Ryouga narrows his eyes. “There will come a time when his Numbers need to be taken. For now, Numbers are few and far between, as I’m sure you know as well, Ryouga. There’s little need for us to compete among ourselves further. My resources far ourstrip those of a child, after all.”

 “You underestimate what we’re capable of,” Ryouga snaps in return. “Or didn’t IV tell you?” 

 Kaito goes to grab Thomas but it’s too late and his hand already has Ryouga’s throat, squeezing hard as Ryouga’ gasps for air. Rei sighs, reclining in the air and watching with amusement. They’re all so much fun. What he wouldn’t give to be able to interact with them too. 

 Maybe soon. He just has to play his cards right with Durbe, after all.

 “Don’t you ever call me that,” Thomas snarls. “That’s not my name. It’s not who I am and I will never accept what that monster made me!” Ryouga’s mouth moves silently, barely making a sound and Thomas tightens his grip. “I will save my family and Kaito has agreed to help me but you, you ruined everything!” 

 “Enough, Thomas,” Kaito snaps, finally managing to yank Thomas away. Ryouga staggers slightly and Thomas sneers. “Enough. Just calm down. There’s no need to make a scene.” 

 “Do you want some advice, little shark?” he whispers, tilting his head. “Leave that hell now, while you still can. Run away and never look back and pray you never lose a duel again.”

 “As if I’d lose,” Ryouga snaps.

 “You’d better hope not,” he laughs, holding up his hand. The crest on the back of it flashes and Ryouga’s red one resonates with it, glowing softly. “This crest that allows us our power, also binds us to him. As long as we’re useful, we live. Should you fail him and lose… well, you’ll never wake up again.”

 “That’s enough, Thomas,” Kaito says, turning away. “Our prey is on the move.” 

 “Sure, sure.” 

 

 They turn away, following a man who Rei thinks he saw duelling in the middle of the crowd as they argued. Ryouga is glaring after them, fists trembling as he draws sharp breaths. Rei can already see where this is going and he doesn’t like it.  _ Idiot boy _ . 

 And sure enough, they’re soon running out after Thomas and Kaito and their prey. 

 The crowd stills and Rei realises they’ve gone into that time field. It makes it all the harder for Ryouga to push through the crowd and get out the door. By the time he stumbles into the alleyway, they’re already duelling. Thomas leaning back against the wall as Kaito duels a Number. 

 “That one would go nicely in your deck, Kaito,” Thomas says, eyeing up the giant ant. “It’d help summoning up that creature of yours.”

 “If you keep insulting my partner I might leave you to fend for yourself, Thomas,” Kaito replies.

 “I can manage on my own just fine.”

 “What about III and V?” Ryouga says, glaring up at Thomas. Thomas tilts his head a little. “III hates that you’re gone. V is colder than ever. He wants to save his family. If you want the same, don’t you understand him? Why would you betray someone who you understand so much? Why would you betray III like that? You two really cared about each other.” 

 “That man… those promises…” He smiles bitterly and tilts his head away. “He wants the Numbers to obtain his revenge and he will go through all three of you to get it and me if he can. He never had an intentions of fulfilling his promises. Hollow words to make us follow his orders. We would collect the Numbers for him and then, he would take them from us, collect them along with our souls.” 

 “He- V would-”

 “Not V. V is as blind to it as everyone else. At least, I’d like to think he is. I wouldn’t want to think he knew what that madman had planned for us.” 

 “What madman? There’s someone above V?”

 “Tron. Everyone has a role to play in Tron’s eyes.” He smiles bitterly and lowers his head. “Everyone has a job and he will twist the world to force you to play it. He intends to take all four of our lives in his quest for revenge.”

 “Why didn’t you say all this from the start?! Why did you just leave?! We have to-”

 There’s a bright light and a roar and Ryouga shields his eyes as a familiar but strange energy surrounds them. A Galaxy-Eyes on the field. Rei narrows his eyes and Ryouga is staring. The power of a Galaxy-Eyes really is something to behold. 

 “Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon,” Thomas murmurs. “The power of other worlds poured into his soul and deck. This is the only chance we have against Tron.”

 Ryouga stares helplessly as Kaito and his Galaxy-Eyes tear through the Numbers holder. Kaito is certainly impressive. By far one of the best duellists Rei has seen in this world. If Kaito considers Thomas to be on roughly the same level, if they were taught by the same master, perhaps it’s worth taking more of an interest in the pair of them. 

 

 The Number holder screams and Ryouga jerks around, staring helplessly as the poor idiot falls to the floor, unmoving and blank. Soulless, Rei realises.

 “Let’s go, Thomas,” Kaito says, walking away slowly. 

 “Hey!” Ryouga yells. “What the hell was that?! What the hell is going on?!”

 Kaito glances back and pauses, his robot coming over to join  them. Ryouga’s jaw clenches and he reaches for Nasch’s pendant. Were they really going to face each other? What happened to their agreement?

 “I thought we had an agreement,” Kaito says. “Unless you want to face me and my Galaxy-Eyes?”

 “Master Kaito,” the robot says. “Photon Mode-”

 “Shut up, Orbital.” 

 “I’m not going to run away from a challenge,” Ryouga snaps. Of course he wouldn’t. He’s an idiot, that’s why. “I can take that monster.”

 Thomas steps in front of Kaito, who scowls. “Thomas-”

 “You’ve already wasted Photon Mode,” Thomas snaps. “I’m still fresh.”

 Kaito nods begrudgingly and Ryouga steps forward. Thomas and Ryouga glare at each other for a moment before Ryouga pulls out Nasch’s pendant and fastening it around his neck. He’s that worried about them, huh? Vector hoved down to his side and Ryouga frowns, glancing in his direction. Rei tilts his head. Did Ryouga realise he’s here?

 Ryouga holds out his hand absently, stopping just short of Vector. 

 “What’s wrong with you?” Thomas snaps. “Backing out already?” 

 “I’m here,” Rei says, poking Ryouga’s palm. And Ryouga jerks back, as if he actually felt him. “Can you hear me?” Ryouga nods a little. “But you can’t see me?” 

 “No. You’re the one Durbe keeps talking to?” His eyes widen slightly. “He wasn’t joking…”

 “Invisible duelling alien ghost, at your service.”

 

 Ryouga stares, even if he can’t see Rei and Rei sighs, crossing his legs and leaning back. What an interesting turn of events. 

 “It’s the pendant. It belonged to Nasch.”

 “Nasch…” 

 His hand goes absently to the pendant and Rei tilts his head. There’s something very strange about seeing it around Ryouga’s neck. If he didn’t know there’s no way Ryouga could be Nasch, he’d be considering it again.

 “You’re a lot like him. You make Durbe happy like he did. You piss me off like he did. But it was boring without having someone like you or him around to keep things interesting. Turns out I kind of need someone to disagree with to keep me interested.” 

 “I think that’s a compliment.” 

 “Hey!” Thomas yells.

 His hand presses lightly to the pendant, fingers brushing the gem, and a light blazes from the pendant. What now? The pendant glows and Rei stares down at the light, suddenly filled with the Barian world’s warmth once more. 

 Thomas and Kaito are yelling something but Rei can’t really focus on anything but the familiar warmth of home. More than home. _Nasch_. He can feel Nasch. And no matter how much he despised the guy, his presence is familiar and there for at least mildly comforting. 

 One of Ryouga’s eyes flashes red, narrowed furiously at Rei. There’s an odd sense of foreboding and Rei watches what he realises, much to his horror, is Nasch’s soul within Ryouga. Durbe always said there was an echo of Nasch’s soul remaining inside the pendant. 

 And now it’s possessing Ryouga?! 

 

 The light fades and Rei groans, opening his eyes slowly. He doesn’t remember when he closed them. They alley around is quiet and Rei struggles to get his bearings. He’s on the ground. There’s something beneath him. 

 Tangible.

 He glances down. Ryouga is beneath him, lying against the alley wall, eyes closed, pendant still glowing softly around his neck. But more terrifying than that, were the pale hands against Ryouga’s chest. 

 Rei flexes his fingers and the hands against Ryouga’s chest move too. His hands! He yelps and jerks back, staggering to his feet and only to collapse back into Ryouga’s lap. He hasn’t had to take his own weight in a long time. Ryouga groans and Rei struggles to push himself up again. 

 “Ryouga?”

 Ryouga’s eyes opens slowly and Rei is relieved to see they’re both blue again, staring up at him. He swallows thickly, struggling up again, and just like before, his legs give out and he falls back to the ground, panting heavily. 

 “Don’t just stare,” he snaps, glaring pitifully at Ryouga. “Help me! I don’t know how to work these stupid human bodies.”

 “Human…? You’re Barian?!” Rei nods and Ryouga gets up slowly, slinging one of Rei’s arms over his shoulders and wrapping his arm around his waist. “What are you doing here?”

 “I don’t know,” Rei huffs. “I guess something about your crest activated something in the pendant, and now I’ve got this human body.”

 “You were that invisible alien thing?” Ryouga says as they stagger back towards home in the glow of the sunrise. Rei nods. “And now you’ve got a human body and have no idea how to use it?” Another nod. “Ok, let’s get you home and try to get you to adjust to human life. Durbe wil help when he comes home, I’m sure.” 

 “This is really weird. Humans are really squishy and soft.”

 “Stop complaining. I’ll leave you out here on your own if you keep it up.”

 Rei growls back, suddenly very aware he has a mouth and a nose that’s crinkling as he snarls in disgust. That’s weird. This entire thing is weird. He feels empty. Which is weird given he’s been energy for around a decade. His middle makes a strange gurgling noise and Ryouga smiles.

 “That wasn’t me.” 

 “You’re hungry,” Ryouga says. “Not surprising since you’re never eaten. I’ll make you something when we get home.”

 Rei nods weakly. He’s seen Durbe eating. He’s seen Durbe drinking that coffee stuff. Stealing Ryouga’s breakfasts, enjoying his cooking at night, going out of cafes. They were enjoying themselves. Maybe there is something to this food stuff. 

 

 He ends up sitting on the couch as Ryouga cooks. He brings him a plastic cup with water in and Rei tries not to be offended. His fingers and trembling and his hands are struggling to grasp properly. Was this how Durbe felt the first him he was in this form?

 “Are you alright?” 

 Rei’s head jerks up to find Ryouga bent over, smiling warmly. Rei frowns and set down the cup and tilts his head away. His face is heating up and Ryouga laughs.

 “Here,” he says, offering Rei a plate. It does smell good. He thinks. It makes his mouth water. He reaches out slowly and takes the plate. “Eggs are easy on the digestive system, apparently. It’ll be easy for someone who’s not used to eating.”

 “Th-thanks…”

 He doesn’t know why his face is so warm, but he ignores it and focuses on eating. Ryouga is watching him with a small smile and Rei tries to ignore that too. Denial is always a good tactic. He doesn’t know what Ryouga’s looking at, he still needs to get a good look at himself too, but he’s not putting up with it forever. 

 “What’s your name?” Ryouga says at last.

 “Rei.”

 “Rei?”

 “Like nothing.”

 “Huh…”

 He frowns a little, as if considering him. Rei decided to ignore that too and focus on eating. It is good. He can see why Durbe is constantly stealing off Ryouga’s plate. Maybe it’s not so bad Durbe’s gone away from a bit. He can enjoy having a human body, once he gets used to this. He can put his own ideas into Ryouga’s head. It’ll be lots of fun. 

 Rei’s not sure why he’s suddenly got a human form, why he saw Nasch, and if it was Nasch who gifted him this form, why, but he’s going to take advantage of it while he can.

 Ryouga is accommodating. He doesn’t ask too many questions. He helps Rei get used to eating and drinking. Gets his hands steady and helps him manage to take his own weight again. It’s been too long since he was anything but pure energy. Walking again is weird. But despite his constant grumbling and snide remarks, Ryouga is surprisingly patient.

 

 “Hey,” Rei murmurs eventually, when he’s all but exhausted and lying slumped on the couch with Ryouga. Ryouga hums and Rei listens to Ryouga’s heartbeat for a moment. Being tired is something new too. “Keep this with you for a while, ok? At least until Durbe gets back. I don’t know why I suddenly got a body when you put it on, but I want to keep it for a while. Please?”

 “Ok,” Ryouga yawns. “As long as you don’t cause any trouble, I don’t see the harm. Although, we might struggle to fit everyone in if I have to have two cute aliens packed in here.”

 “Cute?” Rei huffs, glaring up at him. “You think I’m cute?”

 Ryouga smirks and pokes his nose lightly. “It’s the freckles.”

 “Freckles?”

 Rei huffs and covers his nose with one hand, glaring up at Ryouga’s peaceful face. It’s really hard to be mad at him while he’s looking that peaceful. Stupid Nasch has given him a  _ cute  _ human form. Rei hates him even more.

 “It’s nice,” Ryouga says after a while of comfortable silence. Rei frowns up at him. Ryouga is smiling a little with his eyes closed. “To have people around again. The moment Durbe walked into my life, I stopped being lonely. You too, I guess.”

 “I hate you and your dumb soppy speeches. You’re so much like him.” 

 “You feel familiar too. Like I know you. You and Durbe, you feel like home. More than anything since Rio and my parents died. I’m glad.” 

 “Please, shut up. You’re embarrassing.”


	7. Seethe Onward To Destruction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Durbe's home. And things have changed at bit while Rei's been looking after Ryouga.

 Durbe spent too long in the Barian world.

 Far too long.

 As becomes obvious when he steps into Ryouga’s apartment to find Ryouga in the arms of an unknown redhead. Neither seems to notice Durbe for a moment. Ryouga is wearing Nasch’s pendant, looking surprisingly comfortable as the orange haired boy cuddles into his shoulder. Durbe clears his throat.

 “Durbe, you’re back,” Ryouga says, noticing him at last.

 “Ryouga,” Durbe says softly. He smiles and Ryouga pushes the redhead away, hurrying over. “I’m glad to see you’re well.”

 “Of course. I can take care of myself, you know.”

 “I had to look after him non stop,” the redhead says and Durbe stiffens. That voice- “He nearly got into a fight with Kaito and Thomas on the first night.”

 “Ryouga-” He stops himself from telling off Ryouga and turns his attention back to the familiar purple eyes. “Why are you human?”

 “I have no idea,” Rei replies, bouncing over. “Ryouga put on Nasch’s pendant and touched it and, poof, I’m suddenly lying on top of him like this.”

 “Lying on top of him?” Durbe repeats and Ryouga’s cheeks go red and Rei grins. “What-”

 “It wasn’t anything like that,” Ryouga snaps.

 “I didn’t say anything to imply it was,” he says, shaking his head.

 “Don’t be so shy, Shark,” Rei chirps. Ryouga gasps as Rei’s arms wrap around him, tracing the pendant around his neck. “Ryouga and I have been getting to know each other very well while you’ve been away.”

 “Not that well,” Ryouga replies, prying away his arms.

 “He thinks I’m cute, apparently.”

 

 Durbe narrows his eyes a little as Ryouga swipes at Rei, who laughs and runs behind Durbe as if for protection. But Durbe is more interested in Ryouga. Looking more like Nasch than ever with that pendant around his neck, telling Rei off firmly as Rei laughs.

 “You’re staring,” Ryouga snaps, snapping his fingers in from of Durbe.

 Durbe blinks and smiles. “Sorry, it’s just, nostalgia. It feels like home. It’s nice. All of this. Even this idiot.”

 “Who are you calling an idiot, Durbe?” Rei snaps.

 “You did get yourself in this mess,” he replies.

 “I shouldn’t have been so forgiving,” he sighs. “I should have set a way lower threshold. Been done with the job sooner. You’re right, I’m an idiot.”

 Durbe glares at him over his shoulder and Rei grins back. Maybe he should have stayed in the Barian world rather than have to deal with Rei. But Ryouga pokes his forehead and Durbe blinks back at him, remembering just why he’s here. Why he came back here.

 He looks so much like Nasch it hurts. The kindness in his eyes. The way he laughs even if he’s trying to be stern. The way he bickers and worse with Rei constantly. Even his smile is somehow familiar.

 But he’s not Nasch. There are things Ryouga does. He stands differently. More regal and poised. At least, in a different way to Nasch. Not a warrior king but a young boy who’s obviously been raised well and rather pampered. He holds his cards delicately. Even when he slouches and talks gruffly, he’s always got something noble about him. Something very different to Nasch.

 “Durbe,” Ryouga snaps. “You’re staring.”

 “I apologise.” Ryouga narrows his eyes. “It’s just good to be back.”

 “I’m sure. Sit down. You’re obviously exhausted from whatever you’ve been doing. You and Rei can chat. I’m going to make something to eat and we can talk properly.”

 

 Durbe nods and Ryouga turns away to the kitchen. Rei drags Durbe back to the couch and sits him down. Only a moment later, Durbe’s all but blind and he can just about make out that Rei has his glasses perched on his nose.

 “Wow, you really must be blind, Durbe,” he chirps. “These are ridiculous.”

 “Yes, but I need them to see, so, if you’d please…”

 He holds out his hand and Rei sighs, handing his glasses back. Now he can see again, he narrows his eyes at Rei. He smiles and leans close, almost nose to nose with Durbe as he lowers his voice.

 “I swear, Durbe, I saw Nasch possess Ryouga right before I got my body.”

 “Nasch possessed Ryouga?” He scowls and Rei nods. “What makes you so sure it was Nasch?”

 “It happened when he touched the pendant,” Rei says urgently. “He put it on and he could hear me and feel me. Then he touched it and there was this light, it felt like home. One of his eyes went red, like Nasch, and he looked at me like that, you know that way only Nasch ever does. The way only Nasch can.” Durbe frowns but nods. “And then next thing I know, I was waking up on top of him like this. These bodies aren’t as easy as I thought they would be. I take back some of the stuff I staid about you having it easy in this form.”

 “I’m sure,” Durbe mutters. “So, you think Nasch gave you this form? Forgive me, Rei, but that sounds rather far fetched, given your relationship with him.”

 “Yeah, I don’t get it either, but he did and I don’t know if it’s just while Ryouga has the pendant or what but I don’t like it. Nasch would never be that generous to me.”

 “Didn’t you get along with Nasch?” Ryouga says. They turn and Ryouga smiles down at them, handing Durbe a plate. “He always sounds like he’s an argumentative guy,”

 “Just a bit,” Rei sighs. He shrugs and beams up at Ryouga. “He was sorta blunt and wasn’t very soft spoken. I guess that’s how a king should be, but it could rub people the wrong way. He didn’t always get people’s feelings easily and he was too direct without really saying anything at all.” He frowns a little and tilts his head. “He said I was an annoying, two faced jerk.”

 “You are,” Durbe mutters, only to receive a stern glare from Ryouga. It seems Rei has gained a lot of trust and sympathy from Ryouga while Durbe’s been gone. “It doesn’t really matter anyway. Merag is keen for me to return home. She thinks that if Nasch truly was alive and in this world, we would have been able to find him by now. One slip up and we could both be dragged back to the Barian world.”

 Rei stiffens and Ryouga scowls. “They’ll kill me if I go back there without Nasch, won’t they?”

 “Probably. Merag and the others are hardly fond of you. You’re lucky I did this much.”

 “Rei said he was one of the people who kept order around the Barian world,” Ryouga says. Durbe glances at Rei, who smiles sheepishly. “That Merag hadn’t taken Nasch’s disappearance well, and in their war with the Astrals is putting other people, not just in your world but ours, in danger.”

 “Did he?” he mutters and Rei grins.

 “And that you’re one of the good guys, like Nasch,” he continues. “You looked after our world and stopped them going too far, but without Nasch to take charge it’s not enough. You should have told me rather than acting like everything was ok. Did you think I couldn’t handle it? Knowing there’s such a threat to us looming out there? I’m glad you’re one of the good guys though.”

 “You expected anything less?”

 “Of course not.” He smiles and hands Rei a plate too. “Here. You eat too.”

 

 “I should have Nasch’s pendant back soon, Ryouga,” Durbe says quietly.

 “Soon,” Ryouga replies, turning away. Durbe frowns and Rei narrows his eyes a little. “I don’t know why, but it makes me feel safe. It makes me feel like I’m whole again. Like I’m home. You two and this pendant, for some reason, I feel calmer than I have in years.”

 “Is that so?” Rei giggles. “Maybe you really are Nasch.”

 “I doubt your king is some middle school delinquent with a tragic backstory.”

 “Ryouga.” Ryouga turns and Durbe scowls. “Come and sit with us. We have some concerns.”

 “Concerns?”

 “Your soul and what’s left of Nasch’s appear to be resonating in an odd way,” Durbe says as Ryouga comes over the sit between them. Rei is still smiling pleasantly, but Durbe can see the concerned glint in his eyes. “There’s an echo of Nasch’s should within the pendant. You and Nasch are uncomfortably similar. I’m not sure how or why, but the two of you are obviously connected in someway. Whether you’re simply reasonating or if there’s more to it, I’m not sure, but it is concerning.”

 “Why?” Ryouga snaps, his hand closing over the pendant. Durbe frowns. “What’s wrong with me and Nasch being similar? It makes me feel better and you feel better.”

 “It’s not necessarily bad,” Rei says, shaking his head. “But it’s concerning. For instance, it’s possible the echo of Nasch’s soul is drawing energy from yours to grow stronger. He could very well take over if left unchecked.”

 “Take over? Like possession?” They nod. “That- that’s-”

 “That’s not the only possibility,” Durbe says quickly. “It could be something as simple as having two similar souls resonating, like radios picking each other up on the same frequency. It could be totally harmless.”

 Ryouga nods slightly and Rei puts his hand gently over his. Durbe frowns a little. Just how close have Ryouga and Vector been getting while he was away? Rei glances at Durbe and smiles a little, obviously doing this just to jab at him. He clenches his jaw and turns away.

 “Durbe?” Ryouga says quietly. “What do we do about this then? How do we figure out what it is, how dangerous it is and what we can do about it?”

 “Close your eyes,” Durbe says quietly. Ryouga nods and Durbe takes Ryouga’s other hand as he does. “And trust me, ok? Just like before. I will protect you. Even from Nasch, if needs be.” Another nod and Rei scowls over at Durbe. As if he doesn’t believe him. “I’m going to list off some Numbers, alright? Basic things you should know. Tell me their Number if you can.”

 

 Ryouga nods and Rei narrows his eyes at him. Durbe ignores him though, it’s harder now he’s in a human body but he manages. He lists off Numbers quietly, letting Ryouga fall into a rhythm. Ryouga’s memories seem clears enough. He can pick out a Number from it’s name. He knows what he’s doing. He knows what he’s saying.

 And then Durbe gets where he wanted to be from the start.

 “Silent Honours Ark Knight.”

 “101.”

 It’s instant and Rei’s eyes light up, a grin splitting his face. Durbe nods and squeezes Ryouga’s hand. It was instant and calm and confident, just like every other Number he’d listed off. No hesitation or wavering. There’s no way Ryouga could have known that himself. It’s not just Ryouga’s memories. So they question is how much of Nasch is in Ryouga now. Are his memories seeping through, is he actively merging with Ryouga or is it Nasch himself taking over?

 “Ragnazero.”

 “103.”

 Durbe nods. Something harder. More than just the twins. Nasch had a twin of his own. He could be simply latching onto similar things. Something more complicated. Rei said he’d got into a fight with Thomas and Kaito, hadn’t he? Kaito had a Glaxay-Eyes. Could he tell the difference?

 “Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon.”

 “107.”

 “102?”

 Ryouga’s lips twitch slightly at the corners. “Holy Lightning - Glorious Halo. Your Number.”

 “104?” Rei chips.

 “Masquerade Magician - Shining.” His hand rips from Rei’s and instead wraps around Rei’s throat, nails digging into his neck as Rei gasps for breath. “Hello, Vector. I do like your new form. So much more tangible.”

 His eyes open slowly, and one is most definitely the familiar red of Nasch’s, he turns to Durbe and smiles softly. Durbe smiles back, for the moment ignoring that Nasch choking Rei so casually. After what Rei did, he deserves it for a bit. Durbe has been thinking about it for years after all.

 “You’re looking well, my friend,” Durbe says. “Ryouga’s form suits you. Or… is it too much to hope it’s your form?”

 “Who knows?” Nasch replies. “I’m not sure what’s going on really. I’m just assuming Vector’s behind it somehow.”

 “He threw you off a cliff into a black hole. I managed to save Merag.”

 “I’m glad.” He turns to Vector, tightening his grip on his throat a little. “I wonder where I can find a nice cliff to throw you off of, Vector.” Rei’s mouth move silently and Nasch sneers. “I like you a lot better like this, Vector. You’re cute and soft and, most importantly, quiet.”

 Rei snatches at Nasch’s hands, clawing at his wrists and hand, trying all he could to pry him off but Nasch doesn’t show any concern, even as Rei’s nails draw blood.

 

 Ryouga’s blood.

 

 “Release Ryouga, Nasch,” Durbe says quietly. Nasch glances back at him. “I don’t know what’s going on or how you’re here, and it seems you don’t either. I will return you somehow, but I need you to release Ryouga.”

 “Ryouga? The human who’s been in this body?” Durbe nods. “Why?”

 “Because it’s his body.”

 “You just asked me if it was mine. You don’t know who it belongs to. Or how I exist like this. Or even if Ryouga ever existed beyond being me without my memories-”

 “Let him go, Nasch!” Nasch’s eyes narrow for a moment before nodding. “Thank you.”

 “Once I’m done.”

 He shoves Rei down to the couch cushions, sitting astride his stomach and closing his other hand over his throat. Rei thrashes beneath Nasch, gasping breaths growing weaker and shallower. His kicking and twisting and clawing at his hands lessened.

 He’s going to kill Rei.

_Vector_.

 With Ryouga’s hands.

 No!

 Durbe reaches up behind Nasch’s back. He won’t let him take Rei’s life with Ryouga’s body. He’s an innocent child. He may have nothing to do with the Barian world and Nasch. And he’d made a promise. He’d told Ryouga he wouldn’t let anyone hurt him. He promised he’d protect him. Even from Nasch.

 He unclasps Nasch’s pendant and it tumbles to Rei’s chest. Rei’s hand finds it instantly and Nasch slumps, falling on top of Rei, apparently unconscious. Vector is panting heavily, sucking in air and coughing pathetically.

 “Thanks,” he rasps.

 “I wasn’t going to let him do that with Ryouga’s body,” Durbe replies.

 He lifts Ryouga gently in his arms, cradling him against his body and carrying him away towards the bedroom. He lays Ryouga in bed and gently undressed him, letting Ryouga sleep.

 

 Rei comes in as Durbe is tucking Ryouga in. He hands Durbe a bandage and tape and Durbe smiles gratefully. He wraps them slowly around Nasch’s scraped, torn hands. He doesn’t blame Rei. He probably would have done the same in his position, but it wasn’t Ryouga’s fault.

 “I think... you should hang onto this,” Rei says quietly, holding out the pendant to Durbe. “At least for now. And, perhaps I’ll be content without a physical body for now.”

 Durbe smiles and nods a little, taking the pendant back, slipping it around his own neck. Rei’s body glows, returning to the familiar red energy form.

 “Perhaps, in small periods. Ryouga does seem fond of you. However, given how little Nasch likes you, I think it would be wise not to leave Ryouga with Nasch’s pendant for long periods. Or unsupervised. We still need to work out exactly why this is happening. If he’s Nasch, or if Nasch is somehow taking over.”

 “If he is Nasch, can you really let go of Ryouga?” Rei says, gazing down at Ryouga’s sleeping face. “You’ve spent so much time with him. You like him. He’s not just another potential Nasch anymore, is he? You’ve started to see him and like him as his own person.”

 “Haven’t you?” Durbe replies. “He’s special. Even you must seen that.”

 Vector shrugs and returns to the pendant around Durbe’s neck with annoyingly cryptic, and typically Vector, parting words.

 “Maybe it’s for the best.”


	8. Awaken A Miracle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so we catch up to episode 1.

 “Isn’t it a little unfair for you, as a champion duellist, to be picking fights with children?” Durbe says quietly. 

 “He started it,” Ryouga replies. 

 “Why were you even duelling with the ante rule?” 

 “He challenged me.” 

 “Ryouga.”

 “Stop complaining. I’m gonna beat the kid and teach him a lesson.”

 Durbe sighs. He’s certainly as stubborn as Nasch, as if Durbe didn’t already know that. Thomas and Kaito have been oddly quiet the past few months. V and III are out of the country. They’d asked Ryouga to go with them but he managed to convince them he was best remaining to keep an eye on the Numbers in the city. From that Durbe heard, neither had been impressed to hear Thomas was working with Kaito. They didn’t give him many answers on this Tron either apparently.

 Someone else who’d been oddly quiet is Rei. Every since Nasch’s appearance and attempt to murder him, Rei has barely left his home inside Nasch’s pendant. Apparently the idea that Nasch could really be alive, or at least a piece of his soul could be aware of the situation, has shaken him. He doesn’t doubt Rei is plotting his next move.

 

 Durbe disapproves of Ryouga’s rather brutish attitude at school, but says very little, instead letting him deal with things his way. Whenever he tries to talk to him about it, Ryouga casually asks where Rei is and when he can see him again and Durbe feels an irrational pang of jealousy. He’s well aware he’s been played by a fourteen year old human. Some days, when Ryouga wants him to do something, he looks at him in _ that  _ way and Durbe crumbles. 

 Rei’s right; Durbe is hopeless when it comes to Ryouga.

 They’d both agreed it wasn’t right to tell Ryouga what had happened when Nasch took control of his body. They both agreed he didn’t need to know what Nasch had done. He didn’t need that guilt. 

 Durbe sighs and sits on the rails a little way off, slipping on his D-Gazer to watch what will likely be a quick duel. Ryouga is no doubt going to finish off this kid quickly. He doesn’t look like much and Ryouga is a champion for a reason.

 Gold flashes around the boy’s neck and Durbe narrows his eyes, adjusting his glasses slightly. The key! It’s the boy with the key again. 

 The only way Durbe had talked Merag into letting him continue working with Ryouga on his own, was by mentioning they’d found someone wearing the Astral’s symbol. Now they were supposed to watch out for him and make sure he didn’t interfere with their plans. Perhaps Ryouga will do that job for him.

 Durbe sighs and leans back a little, losing all interest in the duel when it becomes even more apparent just how one sided this duel is going to be. The boy has no idea. He’s going to be no threat at all.

 

 “Hey, feel that?” 

 “What?” Durbe says as Rei appears at his side. 

 Before Rei can reply, there’s a bright golden light. Astral energy. Durbe’s fists clench against the railings. Numbers fly out across the city. Ryouga grabs one as passes and it flashes and vanishes. Ryouga doesn’t bring his Numbers with him to school matches. He’s confident he can beat most people without them. And with Kaito and Thomas around it saves them being lost should he bump into one of them.  


 “That’s…”

 “The Astral envoy,” Rei hisses. “Why would it have woken up from that key now?”

 “Maybe it sensed you?” Durbe replies quietly. 

 The boy’s duelling style seems to be changing. The Astral creature seems to be telling him what to do. Rei glares furiously. 

 “ _ I _ sensed _ it _ . Maybe it sensed _ you _ .”

 Durbe straightens up slightly, staring down at Ryouga. Rei floats in front of him before following his gaze. Maybe it didn’t sense them. 

 “ _ Oh _ . You think…”

 “It sensed it was duelling a Barian,” Durbe whispers. 

 “Are we leaning towards Ryouga actually being Nasch again?” Rei snaps. “You really think-”

 “I don’t know!” he snaps back, shaking his head. “I don’t know… But I’m starting to fear that Ryouga and Nasch can’t exist while the other does.”

 Rei nods. “Nasch has somehow bonded with Ryouga. Those nightmares can’t be coincidence. Ever since Nasch took control of him, he’s not been entirely himself. Either you let Nasch take Ryouga or you have to stop Nasch and let him go, right?”

 “I wish you wouldn’t stay stuff like that. You have no proof that's anything other than a random theory.”

 “I think, get rid of Nasch. Let me have a human form and get rid of Nasch for good. Even if I have to give up my Barian powers and live as a human relying on Ryouga, it’s a small price to pay to finally be rid of Nasch for good.”

 “Vector-”

 “Rei. I’m Rei. Shingetsu Rei.”

 “Why have you added another name?”

 “If I’m going to be human, I need a proper name,” Rei replies as if it’s obvious.

 

 “Durbe,” Ryouga calls. 

 They turn and Ryouga is sitting up from the ground. He’d… lost? The Number floats away back to the Astral creature and Durbe scowls. He jumps from the rails and runs over, putting himself in front of Ryouga. 

 “He’s talking to someone,” Ryouga hisses.

 “We know,” Durbe replies.

 “One of your lot?” he says as he gets up. “Could have told me earlier. Called him off.”

 “No,” he says, shaking his head. Ryouga scowls and Durbe’s lapis flashes into existence on his arm. The Astral creature looks straight over and Durbe clenches his jaw, preparing for a fight if he has to. “The enemy.”

 “Enemy…?”

 “An Astral creature,” Rei says even though Ryouga can’t hear him.

 “You can see me,” the Astral says, getting the boy’s attention. His gaze turns to Rei. “You’re like me.”

 “I’m nothing like you, Astral,” he laughs.

 “How do you know my name?”

 “You’re telling me that glasses guy can see you?” the boy says.  _ ‘Astral’ _ nods and the boy turns to them. “So… you’re real?”

 “Very much so. And he would appear to have a companion like me too,” Astral says. “However his energy is very different.”

 The boy squints slightly before his eyes widen. “You mean the glowy red blurry thing? See guys, I’m not crazy. That guy has an invisible alien friend too.”

 “They’re clueless,” Rei says quietly. “They’re no threat as they are.”

 “All the more reason to finish them off now,” Durbe hisses back. “Before he can become a threat.”

 “No, I’ve got a better idea. Let’s enjoy this for a bit. They’re so clueless. What if we can make the Astral envoy do our dirty work for us?”

 Those with the boy are staring and Durbe scowls. That does sound tempting. If anyone could do it, it would be Rei. But letting him manipulate a child? Even if he is the vessel for an energy weapon.

 

 “So, you guys know what this guy is right?” the boy calls, running over and standing in front of him. Durbe straightens up and Rei floats away slightly, Astral watching him curiously. “You can get him to go away?”

 “It would seem it’s bonded to you,” Durbe replies, pushing up his glasses. “There’s nothing to be done but complete it’s mission.”

 “I’m afraid my mission is one of the memories I’m missing,” Astral replies. “You two seem very aware of the situation. Perhaps you could enlighten me?” 

 “Barians,” Rei laughs, floating in a circle around Astral.

 “Barians?”

 “Barians and Astrals are sworn enemies.”

 “I see. Then you are my enemy and I must defeat you.”

 “Huh?” the child says. “Enemies? Them? Why?”

 “The Astral world considers Barians an enemy to be wiped out,” Durbe says.

 “The Barian Lords are cruel, villainous rulers since their king, Nasch, vanished,” Rei says. Durbe narrows his eyes up at him but the Astral creature seems riveted. “And so the Astral’s declared war against them. The Lords abuse their people for the sake of absorbing more power. I’m Shingetsu Rei. A Barian’s Guardian.”

 “Barian’s Guardian?”

 “Cardigan?” the boy repeats. 

 “Guardian,” Durbe sighs. 

 “I was banished by the Lords for trying to protect our people and stop the evil Barians that are leading us towards war with the Astral world.” 

 “Then you and I are on the same side?” Astral says."We share a common goal?"  


 “Let’s go, this is ridiculous,” Durbe says, turning away. “Ryouga, are you coming?

 Ryouga nods and turns away, following Durbe down the street. Rei follows but there are footsteps too. The boy runs around in front of them, arms thrown out to stop them.

 “If we’re on the same side then we should be friend,” he says firmly. Durbe sighs and Ryouga scowls. “You guys can deal with this guy and then I can be rid of him, right?”

 “We’ll consider it,” Durbe says. 

 “I’m Tsukumo Yuuma, by the way.” Durbe nods and they carry on down the street. “Hey, Shark! We should duel again sometime. Without the ante rule.”

 Ryouga glances back at him and smiles. “I’d like that.”

 

 They walk away slowly and Ryouga is scowling, and possibly pouting but Durbe wouldn’t say that, as they go. No doubt brooding over losing to Yuuma and Astral. Halfway home, Rei requests his human form. Ryouga, of course, obliges when Durbe asks him. Much as he hates risking letting Nasch have more of a hold of Ryouga, it’ll be useful to have Rei explain his plan rather than Durbe having to relay it all. 

 So the three of them duck into a side alley and Ryouga places his hands lightly to the pendant against Durbe’s chest. Ryouga smiles a little and Durbe smiles back as best he can. He doesn’t want think about the choice he has to make right now. He doesn’t want to think he might have to chose one or the other. This was so much easier when he didn’t know Ryouga. When he could have made this decision without hesitation. It should be obvious. He’d come all this way, searched all this time, for a way to return Nasch to their world. He shouldn’t have any doubt. So why does he?

 “Hey!” They turn and Rei is glaring at them with those annoyingly bright and innocent purple eyes. How does such a monster have such an unassuming form? “Let’s go. I wanna get drinks and cakes.”

 “You guys cost me so much money,” Ryouga sighs, but he nods and turns away. “Let’s go.”

 He turns away and Durbe and Rei follow behind. They join him either side and Ryouga smiles a little, glancing over at Rei. Durbe adjusts his glasses. Is Ryouga really that interested in Rei? Or is it just because he rarely sees him?

 “You know, if you could learn to channel Nasch’s power like that in other ways, you could be incredible,” Rei says as they head into the cafe they’d first sat together at. They pick up drinks and pastries and sit in one of the booths, spreading out Ryouga’s deck to work through how he could have beaten the Astral envoy. “I mean, you can give me a body on command like that. You must be channelling his power somehow. You can control it.”

 “The more you use his power, the stronger the link between you,” Durbe says, shaking his head. “And who knows where that could end.”

 “But imagine if he could use Nasch’s power without the risk,” he insists. “Nasch’s Number would work with his deck.”

 “You guys never did tell me what happened when you were testing me,” Ryouga says.

 “Nothing,” the both snap.

 “Yeah, because that’s not suspicious.”

 They scowl at him and Ryouga scowls back. Durbe hates the idea that Ryouga could suppress Nasch. Take his power and use it as his own. He’d snuff out the last of Nasch’s existence just for his own use. But then, isn’t that precisely what Nasch would do to Ryouga?

 Ryouga kicks Durbe until the table and he jolts, staring up at him as Ryouga sneers back. “What are you daydreaming about?”

 “Nothing,” Durbe says, shaking his head. Ryouga tilts his head, giving him a completely disbelieving look. “Just thinking.”

 “About Nasch?”

 “What else does he ever think about?” Rei giggles. Durbe glares up at him. “You’re so obvious, Durbe.” Durbe scowls and Ryouga laughs a little through a mouthful of cake. “See, even Sharkie knows it.”

 “You are kind of obvious,” Ryouga laughs softly. “But that’s alright, you’ve got a lot on your mind. Like how to save me from the ghost of your ex boyfriend.”

 

 Durbe frowns a little and Rei giggles. Ryouga smiles back at him and Durbe gives up. He sighs and sips his coffee, sitting back in his seat. How ridiculous. They’ve just discovered the enemy has sent their weapon to earth, the Numbers have been fully freed and Nasch and Ryouga’s lives are in the balance. They should be doing something.

 So why does Durbe feel so content watching Rei and Ryouga arguing over which cards would have been a better strategy again Hope?

 Durbe smiles and shakes his head. A fresh start. A second chance. Isn’t that what Rei keeps saying? Perhaps he shouldn’t worry about the Astral envoy. Perhaps, just the three of them like this is something more worth protecting. At least for now. 

 “You could have just used Black Ray Lancer.”

 Durbe reaches over and takes a forkful of Rei’s cake while they stare like it isn’t the obvious solution. He’ll worry about other worlds and Numbers later.


	9. A Dangerous Line In Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Durbe and Rei accidentally get shippy with Ryouga.

 “Durbe,” Ryouga calls quietly from the hallway. Durbe sits up and Rei’s muzzle pulls into a scowl. “Will you come and sleep in my bed again tonight?”

 “If that’s what you want, Ryouga,” Durbe replies quietly. 

 Ryouga nods once and turns away. Durbe gets up from the couch and follows into Ryouga’s bedroom. Ryouga’s dreams - not quite nightmares as Durbe understands but certainly unpleasant and unnerving for the young boy - have been getting worse since the Astral messenger arrived and more Numbers were released. Rei keeps insisting they play along with his little game and deceive the Astral messenger and his host. So far, Durbe and Ryouga have been wary of getting too involved.

 But Ryouga’s dreams worry Durbe. They started after Nasch possessed him. For a while they’d seemed to be under control but the Numbers and Astral had made them grow worse again. Apparently Durbe’s presence in his bed eases the dreams, helps him sleep better and deeper, but Durbe wonders if that might be down to Nasch too.

 Still, Durbe does his best to push those things from his mind as he slips into bed next to Ryouga. It’s still a little awkward. Ryouga rolls away, his back to him and facing the wall, while Durbe rolls the opposite way. Neither is really comfortable like this. Ryouga had once mumbled that he wishes it was Rei sharing with him and Durbe hadn’t quite known how to react to that. There’s been a strange tension between them recently. Perhaps due to the revelations about Nasch, perhaps not, but Durbe doesn’t know how to deal with it.

 

 “Durbe.”

 “Yes, Ryou-” He pauses and frowns, rolling over and gazing at the shape in the darkness. “Nasch.”

 “You’re as smart as ever, my friend,” Nasch says, rolling over to face him. 

 The change is always obvious physically. Most noticeably, one of Ryouga’s eyes turns red with Barian power. Durbe notices more. Nasch carries himself differently, has a different kind of confidence. While they are very similar, Durbe notices differences. Even slight differences in their expressions. The way their eyes narrow and Ryouga has a habit of pouting while Nasch just scowls. When Ryouga really truly scowls his eyes are furious and wild. Nasch’s eyes are only like that when he’s calm and silent.

 “You’re not really trying very hard, are you?” Nasch says.

 “What makes you think that?” Durbe replies.

 “We both know when you put your mind to something, it’s easy to accomplish.” He smiles but Durbe isn’t really reassured. There’s something unsettling about Nasch’s mood. “And yet Vector gets to float around and play games and I am only aware for brief periods. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you weren’t trying.”

 “It’s taken me nearly a decade to find any sign of you, Nasch,” Durbe hisses back. “These things take time and I don’t know what it is about Ryouga that’s awakened your soul inside your pendant but I do know that I won’t  destroy an innocent boy just to save your life.” 

 “Is that is?” Nasch says quietly. “You don’t have the stomach for war? You can’t do what needs to be done?”

 “You’re doubting me now?” he snaps. “You think I don’t want to save you and protect the Barian World but I want to protect Ryouga too. He’s an innocent child who didn’t ask to be involved in this. I want to protect him.”

 Nasch sneers, pressing his fingers to Durbe’s chest. “You promised. You promised to protect him, even from me. You want to protect him and stop me. I wonder about that.”

 “Whatever you’re implying, stop it.”

 “You know exactly what I mean, Durbe. Taking this form for so long hasn’t just turned your body soft.” Durbe opens his mouth to argue but Nasch presses a finger to his lips to silence him. “I’m only telling you what you need to hear, Durbe. This body is mine, this soul is mine and you are mine.”

 “I don’t _belong_ to anyone.”

 “You heart does, and your loyalty does. Besides, the child is fond of Vector. He’ll never look at you.”

 “He’s not that stupid, but if he is, good for him.” Durbe rolls away once more and closes his eyes. “I really don’t care, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of what we’re doing.”

 “Which is?” Nasch says quietly against his back. “Wasn’t your mission to find me and bring me home? I’m right here, Durbe, when you’re ready to stop playing house with this child and return to _our_ home _together_.”

 Durbe doesn’t reply. Nice as that sounds, Durbe just can’t bring himself to sacrifice one for the other. It just doesn’t sit right now matter how he tries to justify it. Ryouga is his own person and maybe if he hadn’t got to know him before Nasch showed himself he could have let gone on with his mission and removed Ryouga for Nasch without hesitation. But not now he knows the young man who’ll die to give Nasch life.

 Of course, Durbe is completely ignoring that Nasch is getting stronger without Durbe’s help. Ryouga no longer has to wear the pendant for Nasch’s soul to temporarily take over, nor do they need to actively trigger it. Ryouga’s nightmares of Nasch’s life are going more and more vivid. Durbe is afraid they may have opened a gate they can’t close.

 

 Ryouga is half on top of Durbe when he wakes up. His head is tucked into his shoulder, their chests pressed together and Durbe can’t help thinking of all the times he and Nasch curled up close together from the Barian world’s cruel environment.

 “Ryouga.”

 “Durbe…” He smiles and Ryouga buries his head in Durbe’s chest. “You’re so warm.”

 “You make me feel warm,” Durbe whispers.

 “You’re so gross,” Ryouga laughs. Durbe smiles and Ryouga lifts his head, smiling back, skin going a little pink. “But you’re kinda _my_ gross, dumb alien. So I guess that’s ok.”

 “I’ll try my best to live up to your expectations then.”

 “Sounds interesting. But you’ll have to try a lot harder than you have been. I’ve got very high standards.” He smiles a little and sits up. He watches Durbe for a moment before tilting his head away. “I’m sorry. Things have been awkward. This whole Nasch thing… it’s weird… I mean, knowing he could take over my body and my mind at anytime and I can’t stop him. I’m not sure you can either.”

 Durbe frowns a little but nods. “It’s true, I’m not nearly as powerful as Nasch. I was one of his Lords, but he was by far the greatest. Mizael and Alit… they’re incredibly powerful. If you were testing sheer energy output it wouldn’t be a challenge, but Nasch uses his powers in other ways. And he is linked to us. He affects us.”

 “Then I just have to wait for him to take over? Live my life knowing my days are numbered and one day I’ll be gone and Nasch will live on? There’s really no way to stop him?”

 “The Numbers are one option,” Durbe says quietly. He sits up slowly and glances at the pendant on the side. “Or… Rei…”

 “Rei?”

 “Rei is this way for a reason. He is the only other Barian besides Lord Vector who could potentially challenge Nasch.”

 “Rei’s that powerful?” Ryouga murmurs. He reaches for the pendant but Durbe pushes his hand away. The more he has contact with Nasch’s soul the stronger the link and the stronger Nasch becomes. “Durbe-”

 “Rei is incredibly powerful and incredibly dangerous,” Durbe warns. “He’s locked up for a reason.”

 “For fighting the Lords,” he argues. “You two said-”

 “Yes, for fighting the Lords, but Rei’s methods are sometimes less that honourable,” he snaps. “Rei… Rei is very much a believer that the ends justify the means. Whatever means. And while I sometimes agree with him, there are limits.”

 “He’s like that?”

 “He’d sacrifice the entire Barian world to achieve his goals. Nothing is sacred but his plans and his goals. He says he’s changed and that he’s learnt his lesson, but I wonder just how much you can change from that ideal. I wonder just how much his extremist tendencies can be changed.”

 “He’s that dangerous?”  Ryouga says quietly, sitting up slowly.

 

 Durbe frowns a little and sits up, frowning at the strange look in his eyes. Is Ryouga really so put out by the revelation that Rei is both powerful and dangerous? Durbe stands slowly and steps away slowly as Ryouga frowns up at him. 

 “I should get ready for school.” 

 “Durbe.” Durbe pauses and Ryouga bites his lip for a moment. “To get rid of the evil Lords, what would Rei do?”

 Durbe sighs, picking up his glasses and slipping them on. It has crossed his mind. That Rei is encouraging Ryouga to try and tame Nasch’s power for more nefarious reasons. If Ryouga can completely suppress and extinguish Nasch’s soul, he’ll be rid of Nasch for good. Nasch absorbs Ryouga and takes him over… Is he counting on Durbe to keep his promise to protect him? Or does Rei intend to finish off Nasch himself?

 “Anything.”

 “Even allow Nasch to take over my body to get control of them again?”

 “Perhaps.”

 “Durbe,” Ryouga says quietly. Durbe frowns. “Can I trust either of you?”

 Durbe smiles bitterly. “In the long term, unlikely. I will return to the Barian world and you will carry on with your life once the threat of the Numbers has been eliminated. Whatever happens to Rei, that’s another matter. That depends on the outcome for the situation with the Numbers and Nasch, I suppose.”

 “It’s all kinda serious then, huh?” 

 “Be careful,” Durbe says, turning away to get ready. Since he insists Durbe has to go to school, he’ll at least do it right. “There are still Number hunters around and you can’t afford to let your guard down.”

 “I know,” Ryouga hisses. “I know.”

 

 Durbe turns away, leaving Ryouga to prepare for school as well. Thomas and Kaito have been more active since the other Numbers were released. They’ve been working hard. Or at least Kaito has. The Numbers Hunter is well known in rumour and urban legend. Two men dressed in white. One blond haired, one red. Both with blue and red eyes. Those cornered by the pair fall into a coma and never wake up again. The Numbers Hunter and his faithful companion take their souls. Although, Durbe wonders if the pair aren’t cultivating the rumours themselves, given the power to stop time allows them to work without witnesses.

 With V and III out the country, there’s little to stop Thomas and Kaito acting as they wish. Given Kaito at least seemed to respect Thomas’ duelling as IV, if nothing else, he must have had some respect for the organisation he came from. It stands to reason without them to rival them, they were going to act completely unrestrained.

 He wishes Ryouga would take more care about these things.

 “You’re so transparent,” Rei hisses as Durbe pulls on his uniform. “You want him to think badly of me.”

 “I just want him to be careful,” Durbe replies.

 “I turned over a new leaf.”

 “I do want to believe you. But you’re you.”

 “I’m insulted by your lack of faith in me.”

 “Good.”

 “I’ve been good for ten years.”

 “Anyone else and I’d be impressed but you’ve been terrible for far more than ten years previously.”

 Durbe, of course, cares very little whether he offends Rei or not. He deserves it. Everything Rei has done, how can he let him simple declare he’s changed. He has to prove it. Durbe isn’t sure what it will take for Rei to prove he’s changed, but Durbe doesn’t want to forgive him only to be proven wrong. He has to be sure.

 

 As they’re walking, Durbe notes Yuuma is late. Not unusual in itself, Durbe and Ryouga often cut it close, but Yuuma is usually waiting to meet them and ask more questions. He’s obviously starting to understand and work with Astral more, but he still seems insistent Ryouga and Rei, and by extension Durbe, are going to work with him and Astral and be friends. He seems eager to tell them every morning about his new adventures and Numbers he’s gathered. It’s a testament to how much Ryouga actually wants to be friends with the boy that he’s yet to try and hunt his Numbers.

 But there’s no sign of him this morning.

 Not until they’re nearly at school and spot Yuuma as they’re crossing the bridge. He’s leaning over the side of the bridge, sighing like some mopey teenager in those ridiculous films Rei likes to watch. There’s no sign of Astral.

 “Just keep walking,” Durbe murmurs. 

 He knows Ryouga better than that and isn’t surprised when he smacks Yuuma’s arm. Yuuma starts and stares up at him and Ryouga scowls back.

 “Shark-”

 “What are you looking so pathetic about?” Ryouga snaps.

 “I…” Yuuma frowns and grasps his Astral pendant. He glances up at Durbe. “Have you ever been afraid you’ll lose your partner?”

 “No. It would be something of a relief actually,” Durbe replies. Ryouga scowls at him and Rei huffs. “But I have lost someone I care about. Why?”

 “What happened?” Ryouga says.

 “Last night, I duelled the Numbers Hunter,” Yuuma says. Durbe and Ryouga glance at each other. “You know about him right?”

 “Which one?” he snaps. “The redhead or the blond?”

 “The blond. Kaito.” That seems to calm Ryouga a little. “I couldn’t do anything. Even me and Astral working together, again him, we were helpless. He duelled better than Astral.”

 “That is concerning,” Durbe says quietly.

 “Shark… Shark can you guys… help us get better?” Yuuma says quietly. “I mean… me… I’m supposed to be Astral’s partner, but just doing as he tells me and relying on him… Even if I’m already getting stronger, I want to be strong enough that I can protect him. That I don’t have to rely on him.”

 Durbe glances at Rei, who nods eagerly. “If that’s how dedicated you are. I suppose we could give you a crash course.”

 “Meet us at the school gates after class,” Ryouga says as they walk away. 

 “Thanks guys. I won’t let you down. I’m going to protect Astral.”

 “I’m sure,” Rei giggles.

 And that is precisely why Durbe doesn’t entirely trust him. He’s enjoying playing this game far too much. Durbe’ wouldn’t put it past him to be giggling about them dancing to his tune at the same time. He wouldn’t put anything past Rei.

 

 “I want to trust you,” Ryouga says quietly. Durbe glances at him and Ryouga pointedly looks away. And just repeats himself. “I want to trust you.”

 “What a sap,” Rei laughs.

 “Then do,” Durbe says softly. 

 “Pull him off the roof again, that was a fun little trust exercise.”

 “And what if I can’t?” Ryouga says. 

 “You won’t know until you do.” Ryouga scowls and Durbe smiles back. “That’s a choice only you can make.”

 He glances around the school grounds before grasping Ryouga’s hand and pulling him away. Ryouga follows without a moment of hesitation. His fingers close around Durbe’s and he runs after him. They hurry around one of the corners with Rei flying after them. The portal opens and Ryouga follows him through. Proof of his faith in Durbe even now.

 

 They step out into a woodland surrounding a stone ruin. Durbe doesn’t know why he’s drawn here but he was. Ryouga stares up at the ruined temple and Durbe steps away, sitting on the steps and gazing up at the sky.

 The breeze is soft and warm and Durbe reaches up to the clouds. As if he can feel the wind and sky around him. As if he can fly through this blue sky and fluffy white clouds. As he had once in the Barian world. As if he could truly be free from responsibility and worry, even just for a little while, above it all.

 There’s a hand in his, Durbe realises. A hand where it’s always supposed to be. Warm and soft and fitting as snugly as always. As if it’s been there for a lifetime or more.

 “Durbe?” Ryouga says. 

 Durbe glances at him. Ryouga’s hand is still in his. They’re sitting together on the steps. Ryouga watches the woodland. Rei is scowling down at them, muzzle crinkled and eyes narrowed. Durbe gazes at him for a moment before turning back to the sky.

 “Sometimes I feel like this world is familiar,” Durbe says. “The sky is so clear and blue. Like it’s calling to me. Like I can escape into into it. Like I can get away from everything and just ride the wind.”

 “Sounds nice,” Ryouga mutters. “Can’t you do that with your Barian powers?” 

 “Perhaps,” he sighs.

 “I sounds like fun,” he says. “To ride the wind with you. Free from everything in the world, all our responsibility and pain and everything but you and me.”

 “And me,” Rei snaps, appearing between them. “You keep you hands to yourself. Let go!”

 “Rei?” Ryouga says, obviously noticing his distraction. 

 

 Durbe nods a little and Ryouga passes through Rei, leaning his head on Durbe’s shoulder. Their fingers are still entwined. Rei is glaring at them both. He closes his eyes and his fingers close around Ryouga’s a little tighter. They’re warm. Soft. Comforting. Just like when he got to sit next to Nasch. When they were quiet and at peace. 

 Nasch’s pendant glow and Durbe  scowls up at him. He has to stop that. He has to realise how vulnerable he is everytime he uses Nasch’s powers. But he doesn’t listen. 

 “Hey!”

 Rei falls into their laps and Ryouga sneers, shoving him off onto the steps. Rei glares up at them and Durbe smiles as Ryouga closes his eyes.

 “Stop bothering Durbe,” Ryouga says. 

 “After everything I told you about him, you still trust him?” Durbe murmurs. 

 “I’m just that lovable,” Rei says, leaning close to Ryouga’s face. “It’s for the best.”

 Ryouga shoves his hand in Rei’s face, pushing his head away. “I think it’s for the worst.”

 “Even better. I love being bad. Durbie makes the best faces.” He grins and settles for resting his arms in Ryouga’s lap, laying his head down and watching them. Ryouga sighs and his body slumps against Durbe’s once more. “The three of us make the perfect threesome, don’t you think?”

 Ryouga smacks the back of his head without even opening an eye. 


	10. For Your Future’s Sake

 “Wait, wait, why do we live in that poxy box if Sharkie has a place like this?” Rei sighs. 

 “Is he complaining again?” Ryouga says quietly, dumping his bag. 

 “Isn’t he always?” Durbe replies.

 Ryouga laughs a little and nods. Durbe isn’t sure why they’re here. He knew about Ryouga’s actual home. He’s never seen it before, but he knew about it. It’s huge. Bigger than he imagined. It’s cavernous and empty. Like it’s never been lived in. Like time is frozen.

 “Why are we here, Ryouga?” he says quietly. “Much as I like seeing this, I’m not sure what to make of this. I’m not sure why we’re here.” 

 “This is where I grew up. Rio and I. This is my home.”

 “You want to prove you’re not Nasch,” Durbe murmurs. 

 

 Durbe sets down his school bag with Ryouga’s and follows him through to one of the sitting rooms. Rei floats around, investigating what he can. He laughs about how fancy it is and vannishes from sight. Ryouga reaches up and touches his hands to one of the pictures on the wall. The four of them. Ryouga, his parents and Rio. 

 “She looks like Merag,” Rei says quietly, suddenly behind them.

 “What’s he saying?” Ryouga says.

 “He’s saying Merag and Rio look very similar,” Durbe replies. “I’m inclined to agree. They have very similar eyes. And looks in general. She is interesting.”  

 “But it’s proof that I’m me.” He turns and smiles a little. “Right? I’ve always been me. Since I was a child.” 

 “It is compelling evidence,” he says, shaking his head. “So, it would make it likely you are you and Nasch are simply resonating. But with the link between you, it seems you cannot escape him. The more you use his power, the stronger the link becomes.”

 “You think that he and I can’t exist together,” Ryouga says quietly. “You think either he or I have to die. I’m a big boy, Durbe. You can tell me.” 

 “It is starting to feel that way, yes,” Durbe sighs. 

 “Then I’m going to die.” 

 “Yep,” Rei giggles.

 “ _No,_ ” Durbe says at the same time. 

 Durbe scowls at him. Die? No. He won’t let Ryouga die. His mind tells him it’s dumb. It’s rational and illogical and he should pull himself together. What’s one teenage human child compared to Nasch, his eternal friend and companion? It’s not a choice. It shouldn’t be a choice. But Ryouga is… Ryouga is special. 

 “You expect me to believe you’ll pick me over Nasch?” Ryouga sighs. 

 “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” Durbe replies. Ryouga frowns slightly. “Nasch is very precious to me, but…”

 “But?” 

 “Nothing,” he mutters. 

 “Durbe?” Ryouga insists. 

 “For heaven’s sake, Durbe, will you just tell him you have a dumb crush on him already?” Rei sighs.

 Durbe’s face warms and he adjusts his glasses nervously. How ridiculous. As if he has feelings like that for some human child. How could he ever compare to Nasch, who’d had his heart for centuries before this boy was even born. 

 “Durbe?” Ryouga says again, stepping a little closer. 

 “It’s nothing,” Durbe insists. 

 “You’d… let Nasch go so I can live? You care about me that much?”

 “I- It’s not-” He turns and strides away back into the entrance hall. “You’re both intolerable.” 

 “Well, if we’re both thinking it,” Ryouga mutters behind him.

 

 Durbe shakes his head and walks away. He doesn’t feel anything like that for Ryouga. Or Nasch. He cares about Nasch but a crush… That’s ridiculous. There’s nothing romantic about it! 

 There’s movement above and Durbe frowns, walking slowly up the stairs towards the noise. He frowns, wandering into the dusty darkness of the near abandoned manor. There are quiet footsteps down the hall and Durbe scowls. 

 “Hello?” Durbe calls quietly, opening up one of the doors.

 “Durbe!”

 Durbe ends up tackled to the ground in a heap, glasses knocked from his face and clattering across the floor. He groans, staring up at the blur sitting astride his stomach. He doesn’t need his glasses to know who it is. 

 “Alit,” he sighs. 

 “Huh, Mizael was right, you do look kinda soft and cute like this,” Alit says. 

 “Durbe?!” Durbe tilts his head back to make out Ryouga’s shape in the doorway, Rei hovering at his side. “Oi-”

 “Nasch?” Alit says quietly. “He really… found you…?” 

 “Found... Wait, no, I’m not-”

 “Nasch!” 

 Alit jumps up and throws his arms around Ryouga, knocking him into the wall across the hall. Durbe groans and picks up his glasses, not entirely sure he wants to put them on and see how Ryouga is looking at him. Alit is circling Ryouga excitedly, babbling on about how cool it is to see him and why are him and Durbe in matching outfits. Durbe rolls his eyes and Rei sighs, hovering next to him.

 “Cramps your style a bit, huh?” Rei mutters. “That’s how I’ve always found you.”

 “Ah!” Alit whips around, pointing at Rei. “You-”

 “Enough, Alit,” Durbe says, getting up and getting between them. “Enough, let’s just take a moment and calm down.” Alit nods and takes a deep breath. “Good. This is not Nasch. This is Ryouga. He’s special, but he’s human as far as we can tell.” 

 Alit glances back at Ryouga, who narrows his eyes in return. He nods slightly and Durbe lets himself relax a little. Alit is a good kid. He won’t hurt Ryouga if Durbe’s warning him off. He knows to leave well enough alone sometimes.

 “And you obviously remember Rei.”

 “Rei?” Alit repeats slowly. Rei nods. “Sure.”

 “And this is?” Ryouga said.

 “Alit,” he replies before Durbe can. “One of the seven great Barian Lords. You should be cowering in fear, human. You’re in the presence of the greatest fighter in the three worlds. My passionate, burning soul and red hot punches blaze even hotter than the sun. I-”

 “Alit,” Durbe sighs. Alit glances over, luckily distracting him from where Ryouga is watching him wide eyed. This is the inevitable problem with telling him the Lords were villains. “What are you doing here?”

 “Oh, uh, well,” he laughs “You haven’t seen home in ages and you’re dealing with that Astral envoy and Merag’s… well, she’s Merag and you know what she’s been like without Nasch.” He frowns and tilts his head, gazing up at Ryouga. “You sure you’re not Nasch? You feel like him.”

 “Durbe says I’ve got some sort of resonance between my soul and his,” Ryouga replies.

 “Huh?” he says, turning to stare at Durbe. “You and him have resonating souls? Honestly, Durbe, being distracted by love like that-”

 “He and Nasch have resonating souls, Alit,” Durbe sighs.

 “He does like him though,” Rei says.

 “Durbe! Love is the refuge of morons with weak souls,” he snaps. Durbe is starting to get a headache. He turns and strides out, heading down the hall. “I would never let myself get so distracted by a pretty face. You have to focus on your mission. Even this idiot know that, right Ve- Rei?”

 “You think Ryouga is pretty?” he mutters. 

 

 Durbe catches Ryouga’s wrist and pulls him away from the pair gossiping. Ryouga frowns but follows along with him without complaint. While Alit and Rei argue over love, Ryouga and Durbe pick up drinks and snacks from the bags they brought and throw off the dust sheets on the furniture. 

 “These human bodies are super weird, Durbe,” Alit whines, taking the drink handed too him. “How’ve you done this for so long?”

 “You get used to it,” Durbe replies.

 Alit frowns and sips the milkshake he’s been given. His eyes light up and he grins, looking over the bottle. Ryouga smiles, sitting next to Durbe and leaning lightly against him. How could he ever be expected to to give up Ryouga for Nasch? He never wanted to fight wars. He never wanted to lead them. For a little while, can’t he just be Ryouga’s Durbe? There has to be a way.

 “What’s up, Durbe?” Alit says.  


 “Nothing, just thinking. Why are you here, Alit? Other than wanting to see me?”

 “I… I wanted to see what this Astral envoy was like,” Alit says. “And make sure he wasn’t giving you any hassle. Or him.” He glares at Rei, who glares back. “I just wanted to make sure you’re ok. And it’s a good job too. You’re obviously getting way too distracted by these humans.”

 “Uh-huh,” Ryouga mutters. “And, where exactly are you going to be staying once you’re done insulting this human?” Alit’s eyes widen slightly. “My couch is getting kinda full.”

 Durbe watches Ryouga for a moment before tilting his head to gaze at Alit. “Can you fetch Rei’s lapis for me, Alit? Then I’ll sort you out.”

 Alit frowns but nods. He vanishes into a portal and returns a few minutes later. Rei reaches for his lapis. It was taken from him when he was forced into this form. He lived through Nasch’s energy. But Nasch is eating away at Ryouga. Time for a change of plans. 

 “What are you doing, Durbe?” Rei snaps. “That’s my soul, you can’t just mess around with it.” 

 “What _are_ you doing, Durbe?” Alit agrees. 

 

 Durbe just smiles a little and reaches up, taking Ryouga’s own shark tooth locket from around his neck. This is ridiculous. He’s actually choosing to throw away any hope of resurrecting Nasch using Ryouga. How can he be so dumb. He’s going to give up everything he’s worked so hard for. Just because he’s attached to some human. 

 Even so, he lays Rei’s lapis over Ryouga’s locket. His fingers brush Nasch’s pendant and his own lapis flashes into life around his wrist. This wouldn’t be easy for someone as powerful as Nasch, let alone someone with little actual Barian energy like Durbe. Of the Barians Lords, Durbe is possibly the weakest in terms of raw energy. But he learnt to use it in the best way possible to grasp his position. Not just because of Nasch’s favour. 

 Rei vanishes and the pendants glow in his hand. Durbe is probably going to regret this but he’s going to follow his instincts. He’ll find another way to bring back Nasch. 

 Durbe falls back against the couch back, panting heavily. His energy all back drained. Alit and Ryouga are both leaning over him, both looking concerned, both talking but their words don’t really reach him. His eyes fall shut slowly and he falls slowly into peaceful oblivion. 

 

 “Durbe.” Ryouga’s voice echoes through the darkness. “Durbe. Durbe, come on. Wake up.” Durbe forces his eyes open, gazing up at Ryouga’s blurry form above him. And Ryouga sighs heavily. “Durbe… you’re ok. Alit said you might have used too much energy. That you might have to go back to the Barian world to recover.”

 “I’m fine,” Durbe says softly. He smiles a little, reaching up to brush Ryouga’s hair back. “I just needed some rest. I didn’t mean to worry you.” 

 “Well, you did,” Ryouga snaps, taking his hand and pushing it to the mattress. Durbe smiles. “You should stop doing dumb things that can put you in situations like that. I had to carry you back and you’re not exactly light.” He pokes Durbe’s forehead and turns away. “It’s like you’re still made of stone. You’re lucky Alit opened a portal or I’d have left you there.”

 “Where is Alit?”

 “You could at least say thank you.”

 “Thank you,” Durbe laughs. “Now. Alit?”

 “On the couch. You’re just going to have to share with me,” Ryouga replies. Durbe nods slightly. “What did you do anyway?” He holds up something that glints in the light and Durbe assumes it’s his locket. “Alit says it looks like you merged his soul gem with my pendant.”

 “Lapis. It’s called a lapis.”

 “I don’t care. Why’d you do it?”

 Durbe smiles tiredly. “Because I’m an idiot.”

 “Well, that’s been well established. Why in particular this time?”

 “Because I can’t give up one stupid human child’s life to save the most precious person in my life.” 

 “You… What?”

 “By merging Rei’s lapis with your pendant… In theory there’s no need for you to use Nasch’s pendant anymore. I can break the link between you by isolating it.” 

 “You… you picked me.” Durbe closes his eyes and nods a little. “You put my life above Nasch’s.”

 “You’re a child with your life stretching out before you. How can I sacrifice all your potential, for someone who’s lived for centuries? Someone eternal. I will save Nasch and return im to the Barian world, but I’m sure he’s not going anywhere for a while yet. His soul remains. That’s all the hope I need. He save be saved. I’d rather not sacrifice an innocent life to do so.”

 “Durbe…” Durbe opens his eyes a little as Ryouga jerks up to his feet. He looks like he’s glaring. Durbe smiles back. “Just get some sleep, idiot.” 

 He turns and stomps out and Durbe laughs softly as the door slams. He can hardly believe it himself. But Ryouga is special. He can’t deny that. So special Durbe has given up everything he thought he’d come here for, just for him. 

 Not given up. No. Just delayed. But Nasch wouldn't really want him to give up an innocent life, just for him, right? He wouldn't sink to Vector's level. Right?  


 

Durbe sighs and closes his eyes. He really is an idiot. 


	11. If We're Destined To Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry but I didn't write the duel. And I made up a card. For dramatic purposes. Might need to update the tags at some point soon too.

 “An angel…”

 “Huh?” 

 Ryouga and Durbe are both staring at Alit, who’s grinning like an idiot, watching Yuuma. What on earth? Yuuma is grinning back at him. 

 “Alit?” Durbe says quietly. 

 “Yuuma, what is an angel?” Astral says. 

 “Huh? Oh it’s a creature from another world,” Yuuma says. “Like heaven. Where dead people go if you listen to some people. They’re like messengers from another world. They’re supposed to be beautiful and powerful and magical.”

 “That does not sound like you at all,” he says. Yuuma scowls up at him and Rei giggles. “If anything, it sounds more like me.” 

 “Uh, right, I’m Alit,” Alit says, grabbing Yuuma’s hand. “I’m a friend of Durbe’s. You’re incredible.” 

 “I kinda am, aren’t I?” Yuuma laughs. “I got this Chaos Xyz change all on my own. It’s the strongest a Number can get. It’s the best. No one can match it. Totally unique.”

 “You think-”

 “Alit,” Durbe says, firmly.  Alit glances back at him and laughs weakly. “Thank you.” 

 That Yuuma and the Astral envoy have somehow unlocked a version of Chaos is disconcerting. Astrals, users of Order, aren’t supposed to be capable of using Chaos. It should infect them and stain them. That’s why the Astrals want rid of the Barian world. Their Chaos is a threat.

 

 “He’s not so bad, I guess,” Ryouga mutters from Durbe’s side. Durbe smiles a little and nods. “But, he’s not staying forever. I like my couch and you toss and turn in bed.” 

 “You said you don’t stay in your house, because it’s empty,” Durbe says. Ryouga narrows his eyes, obviously knowing where this is going. “You’ve got me now. And Rei, sort of. And with Alit, who knows how long he’ll hang around. Maybe it’s worth-”

 “Maybe not,” he replies firmly. “He’ll be gone soon anyway, right? It’ll be back to just you and me.” 

 “And Rei, of course.”

 “Of course.” 

 “I thought you were fond of him,” Durbe laughs quiet, leaning in closer. “You two always seem close when he’s tangible.” 

 “After what you said about him, I’m a little concerned how attached I should be. What if he-”

 “Don’t be afraid,” Durbe says softly, pressing his hand to the pendant Ryouga wears. Glinting with Rei’s lapis set in it. “As long as you have this, he can’t harm you. You have a natural affinity with Barian powers and Chaos. You’re in control. And I’m sure you’ve picked up some tricks from Nasch.” 

 “I don’t understand you at all,” Ryouga sighs. “Someone you love than anything in the world, and you gave up your first solid lead on saving him just so someone like me can live a bit longer. I don’t have any family. Or anyone who cares about me. No one would miss me. Nasch is leader of an entire world. Every logical argument says letting me go and bringing Nasch back is the right thing to do.”

 “And?” 

 “Why? It doesn’t make sense.”

 “No. It doesn’t. But that’s the choice I made. And you’re very wrong, by the way. There are a lot of people who care about you. A lot of people who would miss you. Right in front of you.”

 Ryouga’s cheeks flush and Durbe smiles back, leaning in slowly. He’s knows it doesn’t make any logical sense, but feeling like this isn’t really logical.

 What even is he feeling? What is that? Rei and Alit keep calling it a crush. Love. How can someone like him - eternal, the right hand of another world’s king - fall in love with a human child? But he longs to be close to him. He longs to take comfort in Ryouga’s touch. The same urge he felts around Nasch. The same way they’d push their muzzles together. Why is he longing for this with Ryouga? 

 None of this makes any sense, but it’s happening.

 “Durbe,” Ryouga whispers as their noses brush. “I-”

 

 “Durbe!” Alit calls. “Duel me!” 

 “Oh, oh, tag duel!” Yuuma calls as they draw apart gazing down at the pair. “We can tag duel. Me and Shark! I’ve always wanted to partner up with you, Shark, you’re so cool!” 

 “No,” Ryouga says, getting up from the grassy bank and stepping down to the side of the river. “You two idiots can duel as a team. Durbe and I will duel together.” 

 “Yuuma.” Astral is gazing up the bank. Durbe tilts his head, follows their gazes. Thomas and Kaito are on the path at the top of the bank. “Kaito…” 

 Kaito gazes down at them silently, holding Thomas back with an arm across his chest. There’s silence and they watch each other warily. After a few long moments, Kaito smirks.

 “I suppose it’s been long enough,” Kaito says, straightening up. “I want that key, Thomas. We can both get what we want.”

 “I thought we were just after Numbers,” Thomas sneers. Kaito narrows his eyes. “Fine fine. Let’s get to work.” 

 “Don’t hold me back.” 

 “I should be telling you that.” 

 “If you two are going to argue with each other is there any point in us being here?” Ryouga snaps. “Maybe we should leave you two to your flirting?”

 “Orbital!” Thomas and Kaito snap. 

 

 Time slowly and the world falls silent. The river stops and the traffic stills. Red ropes snaps out and wrap around Ryouga and Yuuma’s wrists, before vanishing. 

 “Yuuma!” Astral cries. 

 “It’ll be fine,” Yuuma says. “Not like we’ve got any choice but to duel anymore. We can do it. Especially with Shark on our side.”

 Ryouga nods. “Let’s win.”

 Kaito’s outfit turns white as their duel disks appear, along with build in D-Gazers. Yuma and Ryouga’s duel disks snap into place, Ryouga summoning up his hunting disk and D-Gazer, much like the pair of hunters themselves. Given to him by the Arclights to help along the way with hunting. He’s taking it seriously. 

 “Who are these guys?” Alit whispers loudly at Durbe’s side. “They feel like us.”

 “Dr Faker’s hunters,” Rei replies. “Tenjou Kaito, the Numbers Hunter. Steal people’s souls when they lose. And Thomas Arclights, of Tron’s family.”

 “Merag’s-”

 “That’s right,” Durbe says. “But Ryouga technically works for Tron. So keep quiet and let things play out.”

 “We win either way,” Alit says. “Seems unfair.”

 

 “You first,” Kaito says, fixing Thomas with a stern glare. “Then me.” 

 “Right,” Thomas says sighs. “Me first then.” He glances at his hand and running his fingers over them absently. “You always have to be a pain in the ass, don’t you?”

 “Get on with it.” 

 Thomas yawns and nods, making Ryouga scowl furiously. Alit bristles. “If he’s not going to take it seriously-”

 “He’s playing games,” Rei says. 

 But Thomas’ movements are lazy and half hearted. Three monsters. Summoned and special summoned into an Xyz. The huge creature spread out razor sharp wings, strings humming and strumming as rests behind Thomas. Armoured in silver, white dress billowing, markings over its skin. Thomas’ looks calmer than Durbe has ever seen him. Eyes soft and relaxed but focused. Apparently he can control himself in a duel.

 “See, Astral,” Yuuma says. “That’s an angel.”

 “I was correct,” Astral says. “You look nothing like an angel.”

 “Photon Destiny Illusionist,” Thomas says.

 “Another Photon monster,” Astral says. “Just like Kaito’s…”  

 “That’s not the deck he used last time,” Ryouga hisses. 

 “So it’s a big guy,” Yuuma laughs. “It’ll be sweeter when we kick its ass.”

 “Since no player can attack on the first turn of a tag duel, I set two cards and end my turn.” 

 “He’s not holding much in reserve,” Alit says, bouncing on his toes. “He’s not pulling any punches.”

 “Will you stop enjoying this?” Rei snaps. Alit puffs out his cheeks and glares up at him. “If they lose and those guys take their souls, we’re down an Astral envoy-”

 “Isn’t that-”

 “Not with the current plan,” he growls. “And if Ryouga loses his soul, Durbe will stop protecting him and put Nasch’s back in.”

 “That seems like a good thing too,” Alit grumbles. 

 “Not for me! Besides, Durbe would mope.”

 “Oh yeah.”

 

 Durbe frowns, ignoring those two babbling and watching Thomas’ monster. He’s seen Thomas duel as IV. He saw him lose to Ryouga at Nationals. He’d been worked up and fidgety. This is not the same boy. His body language and duelling is completely different.

 Ryouga’s duelling is simple as ever. Straight into Aero Shark and inflicting damage as Yuuma cheers. But Thomas and Kaito seem entirely unbothered by the damage. From what Durbe has seen, Photon decks have little defencive capabilities anyway. 

 “So cool, Shark!” Yuuma exclaims, bouncing just the same as Alit. “You can damage them without having to attack. So cool!”

 “Ah, impressive,” Thomas say quietly as Kaito takes his draw. “That combo?”

 “You’ve set it up.” Thomas nods. “Alright. I activate the Field Spell, Photon Pressure World.”

 The field around them shifts into a barren space wasteland. Yuuma gasps and covers his mouth, yelling about not being able to breathe in space. Thomas and Kaito glance at each other. Alit’s eyes widen and he stares up at Durbe and Rei.

 “Can  _ we _ breathe in space in this form?”

 “Obviously,” Rei replies. “Since you’re still talking.”

 “And that’s ignoring that it’s not real,” Ryouga snaps. “It’s AR Vision.”

 “Oh yeah,” Yuuma laughs sheepishly, straightening up. “All good.”

 “Oh,” Alit mumbles.

 “We’ll get back to that in a minutes,” Kaito says. “Because when I control no monster, I can special summon Photon Thrasher to the field.” 

 “That’s familiar,” Yuuma mutters.

 “Then we’ll show you something new,” Thomas says. “Photon Pressure World activates.”

 “When a Photon monster is summoned, all players take damage equal to its level times one hundred. That’s four hundred.”

 “All players without a Photon monster on their field, that is.”

 “Wait, that’s us!” Yuuma cries. 

 Meteors rain down, knocking Ryouga and Yuuma back a step. Thomas sighs and runs a hand through his hair. They certainly seem to be an impressive pair so far. Thomas seems entirely different to the aggressive, short tempered young man they’ve met before. This could spell trouble. 

 “Next, I summon Photon Crusher.” 

 “And Photon Pressure World activates again.” 

 Another wave of meteors slam down and Ryouga and Yuuma emerge from the smoke looking worse for wear but alright. Still, it’s a lot of damage to take in the first turn. 

 

 “If he has Photon Dragon in his hand, we are in a lot of danger, Yuuma,” Astral says.

 “Kaito?” Thomas mutters. Kaito shakes his head ever so slightly and Thomas nods. “Destiny Illusionist’s effect activates; once per turn I can summon a Photon monster from my deck or graveyard whose level is equal to or less than the combined level of the monsters summoned this turn.” 

 “A free level eight,” Ryouga growls. “You know bigger isn’t better, don’t you, IV?”

 “I don’t go by that name anymore,” he says. 

 “What’s more worrying is the damage we’ll take from a level,” Astral says. “If they continue to cycle monsters like this, we will be in trouble.”

 “They can’t just keep summoning, right?” Yuuma says.

 “In theory.”

 “I’m sure they’re more than capable of going for a while though,” Ryouga says. “We might be in trouble.” 

 “From my deck I summon Photon Leo,” Thomas says. A strange lion appears and Thomas smiles. “Level six.” 

 Another flurry of meteors. Astral is flashing in and out of existence. It had been mentioned Astral weakened the more damage he took in duels. Durbe will have to investigate that. Why only certain duels affected him in such a way and other didn’t. His practice duels with them, for instance.

 “A monster summoned by Illusionist's effect can’t attack, and goes back to the top of my deck at the end of the turn,” Thomas explains. 

 “Then what’s the point?” Yuuma says. 

 “It controls his next draw,” Ryouga hisses.

 “And allowed them to do more damage,” Astral says. “We’ve lost nearly half our life points before we’ve even taken a turn.”

 “No worries, this time we’re ready for him and his giant dragon,” Yuuma says. “We’ve got Hope Ray and Shark.”

 “True. But his partner is a complete unknown to us.”

 “Shark knows how to beat him though.”

 “Let’s not get overconfident, Yuuma.”

 “You scared?”

 “I’m wary.” 

 

 Thomas and Kaito are as impressive as Astral fears. Alit seems to be enjoying it despite his worrying that it’s unfair. Even with Hope, it seems almost insurmountable. Durbe may have to investigate those two more. It is rather unsettling to know there’s a pair this good out there, hunting the people he’s chosen to work with. 

 Hunting  _ Ryouga _ . 

 “Kaito.” There’s a sudden silence as a horribly familiar voice comes over the network. A screen flashes up. A figure in white and blue robes.  _ Merag _ . “Haruto requires your presence. Bring your pet.”

 “Oh, don’t you dare!” Thomas snarls. “Not now! Attack! It takes five seconds!  _ Finish it! _ ”

 “Let’s go,” Kaito says, pulling away his anchor.

 “No!” he yells as Kaito sweeps away. “ _ Kaito! _ I hate you!”

 Thomas yanks away his anchor, running after Kaito with a snarl. Durbe sighs and closes his eyes as Ryouga slumps. They managed to avoid a disaster. Barely. 

 Yuuma collapses to the ground, breathing heavily. “We still can’t win… Even after everything, we still can’t beat him. Astral-”

 “These things happen,” Ryouga growls. He sighs and leans against Durbe’s side. “Duelling is half about lucky anyway. We’ll keep working at it.”

 “Let’s go grab drinks,” Alit says. 

 “Sounds good,” Rei says, feet touching down with a soft glow. He grins and catches Ryouga’s arm, pulling him away along the bank. Alit smiles and offers Yuuma his hands as Astral disappears. “We always like drinks and cake after a loss. So we can go through a figure out where we went wrong.” 

 

 “Consider yourself lucky I stepped in, Durbe,” Merag says quietly from behind Durbe. Rei glances back, apparently the only other one who’s noticed her presence. She stands in her white robes, blue hair barely visible, watching the group walk away. “Kaito is hard enough to control, without adding Thomas into the mix. Ryouga is a useful pawn in the hands of Tron, and you apparently. But I won’t do it again. Keep better control of your human brat and get on with finding Nasch.” 

 “Yes, Merag,” Durbe mutters, striding away after them.

 “And perhaps stop treating that monster like a friend.”

 “Yes, Merag.”

 “And keep an eye on Alit.”

 “Of course.”


End file.
